Here Comes Tomorrow: Rising Dawn
by Uroboros187
Summary: It's been five years since a war was fought for the mutant messiah. Suddenly, the X-men find a strange psychic presence and go to investigate the source and find Dawn, who bears a striking resemblance to Scott Summers and is the daughter of Gambit.
1. Chapter 1

**Here Comes Tomorrow: Rising Dawn**

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**Summary: It's been five years since a war was fought for the mutant messiah. Suddenly, the X-men find a strange psychic presence and go to investigate the source and find Dawn, who bears a striking resemblance to Scott Summers and is the daughter of the traitor Remy LeBeau.**

_**All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**_

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**Chapter One: Of Fire and Ice**

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He dreamt of fire and rain and cold. He can hear the screams of terrified townspeople and can feel the cries of mothers as they mourn the loss of their loves, clutching the burned remains to their chest as if to give them their very heartbeats and breaths.

In this dream, he walked pass them, their tear stricken faces meaning nothing to him because he has more important concerns. But he won't ignore the creatures involved with their pain and sorrow. No, those creatures that call themselves men are in his sights and he aims to get every one of them with the fire in his hands and the hatred burning in his red on black eyes.

And he's not alone. He brought friends.

Sunfire.

Malice.

Scalphunter.

Blockbuster.

Prism.

Lady Mastermind.

Marauders, one and all and always. Cloned time and time again, they know nothing else but what they do know…it's not undeniable that they are experts. After all, this isn't the first time they fought and killed those who were less than themselves.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

A fire fly.

A speck of hot light.

The spark of life.

It flies here and there like a butterfly with no direct path only it does. It's looking for a part of itself, the missing piece, the part that makes it yearn for---

_**There.**_

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

It hurts so much inside, all around her and that it frightens her so much that she can't keep the tears away. She doesn't know if she could anyways so she doesn't, crying on the one thing that she could always count on but they've taken her away.

She's alone.

She's never been alone before.

The noise around her is getting louder and something is becoming quietly…_where are you going? Don't leave me. Who will play with me if you go away?_

_Help me. Help me please someone._

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

_**Pretty light.**_

_**We should be together.**_

_**Let's be together.**_

_**We are part of something larger than ourselves.**_

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

_I'm so scared._

_My heart hurts._

_I can't shut out the voices._

_What's happening to me?_

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

_**Here I am child.**_

_**Put out your hands and hold me close.**_

_**Let me in. Let us be together again.**_

_**I can protect you and you will never be alone again.**_

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

**Burn.**

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

He was two blocks away when the explosion lit up the sky like a nuclear fire only to watch in amazement as the fire billowing in the sky escaped back to the earth like someone was sucking it in. He sent the others to the hospital, to find what they were sent for before he went towards the explosion, his curiosity piqued too much to ignore. He followed the shadows, wary of the danger around him though he had no fear of it.

He neared the source of the explosion, his eyes narrowing as he watched the one sided massacre happen. It was startling to see this power coming from such a small thing, the heat and fire coming from a dark place…

His thoughts halted when he heard the tell tale sound of sobs. He looked closer, moving out from his hiding spot to see her shoulders shaking as she walked, the fire gone from her body like it never existed.

She was crying and he could never stand to see a young girl cry so heart wrenchingly so. He jumped down from his hiding spot and landed in front of her.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The heat was gone and she shivered in the cold, her tears mixing with the rain. It was quiet now. Emptiness had surrounded her as ashes floating into the sky, still burning red hot when a man appeared in front of her. Her hand shot in front of her, her fingers wide, waiting for the heat to come again.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

He felt a burning around him, in him and for an instant he thought he was going to burn away but then….it was gone and the girl's hand fell to her side. A weariness that should never be seen on a child appeared on her delicate face. She hiccupped, a violent shudder that reminded him of her lack of warmth. He took off his jacket and put it on her shoulders.

She looked up at him her eyes wide as the heat disappeared, settling deep inside of her when the man kneeled down to her level. He held out his hand and offered her a promise.

She took his hand and his promise.

"My name is Dawn."

"My name is Remy."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The next day when the dust had settled and the last hope of mutants was gone, taken into the future for her safety, Remy disappeared without a word to his comrades, former and current. He had done what was expected of him. All debts were settled and all ties cut.

He carried with him the new beginning and his new life.

"Where are we going Papa?"

"Home Cherie. We be goin' home."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - A Simple Life**

* * *

This was the life.

Waking up in the morning to hugs, kisses and tickles by someone who loved you with all their heart. By someone who cherished you above all else and who never went a day without telling you just how much they loved you or to show you just how important you were in their life.

Dawn had heard that there were children who weren't as lucky as she was.

She had a home, a small cottage with a huge yard. She was safe and comfortable and loved for she was always kind and polite with a smile and people liked kind and polite smiling little girls. She wasn't afraid and she didn't hate, that was something she only saw on T.V. in places so far and away from home. She was never hungry, her parent was a wonderful cook; never alone, she had Birdie Pup who she loved with all her heart that went everywhere with her and she was never bored, there was so much to see and do.

Her parent and there was just one for her, had told her all the time just how lucky they were to have a daughter like her and Dawn had always thought, _'No, I'm lucky to have someone like you.'_ She was glad she had just one parent; she would have felt greedy if she had _two_ wonderful parents. At night sometimes, she would sneak into the big bed and watch her parent sleep before cuddling close, closing her eyes only when she felt arms wrap around her.

When she dreamed, she dreamed of something warm and bright. A place was that was never cold and dark, a place where she could feel that she could---fly. Across the sky and into the stars---always burning with a heat that was all consuming--

"L'ange, le bonbon se reveille!" _*Angel sweet wake up*_

Dawn woke up, rubbing her eyes as bright sunlight splashed across her white and sky blue comforter that covered her large queen sized bed. She yawned as she pushed back the soft silk netting that kept the mosquitoes out as Birdie Dog looked up from her place at the foot of the bed before snuffing and laid back down to sleep. Dawn stretched one arm to the sky and pointed her bare toes to the floor, waking her whole body up before sliding off her bed.

Dressed in a white and purple long sleeved and pants PJ's that were scattered with stars and moons, she sleepily went to the large double French doors and pushed them open. At once, humid and warm wind came through, allowing in the scent of water and the smell of wisteria flowers that climbed up the walls of the large mansion she called home. Songbirds sang in the many trees that grew in the large yard meters wide and cut so the branches were high from the ground, leaving no coverage on the ground. In the distance, a tall brick and iron wall protected her from the noise and dangers of the rest of the world.

"L'ange, vous être mieux éveillé ou je vous battrai!" _*Angel, you better be awake or I'll beat you!*_

"No you won't. You love me too much!" Dawn yelled back with a smile before she skipped back into her room to shower and dress. After she was done, dressed in a blue sweater vest, white pressed top and grey skirt of her school's uniform she tickled Birdie awake and raced her downstairs to the kitchen where she knew breakfast would be ready, hot and spicy just like she liked it. She ran up behind her beloved Gram and hugged her tight, receiving a kiss and swaps on the hand when she tried to sneak a piece of spiced sausage pass her.

"Go on child!" her Gram shooed her away with mock anger and turned back to cooking, never noticing that Dawn had snuck a boiled egg, her true goal, away and ate it. "And don' you be t'inking, you got away wit anyt'ing. You're as bad as your Pere, I swear!"

Dawn giggled as her Gram went on ranting about how her Papa thought he was just as sneaky when he was in the kitchen as a child. Her Gram always had tales, some good, some bad and some just downright confusing but that was her Tante Mattie, the hoodoo woman of the South.

"Is she tellin' lies 'bout me again _cherie_?" Dawn looked up and squealed as her Papa strolled in, looking well rested and relaxed from his recent trip out. His brown hair hung free around his face and pass his shoulders while his devilish and heart stopping smile greeted her warmly and she could see that he recently shaved. But none of that mattered as she looked into his eyes, his red on black eyes, the eyes of the devil she once heard said about them but to her they held nothing but love. "I swear, its only rumors dat I started."

"Yeah sure." she said as he strolled up to her and hugged her. She held him tight, closing her eyes as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "I missed you."

"I missed you too _cherie_. So much." he whispered against her head, kissing her forehead as he pulled back to look at her.

Dawn had long reddish brown hair fixed up so that it looked like she had two twisted buns on the topside of her head while the bottom half hung loose and sleek against her back. Her brown eyes were large and bright with a shot of green in the middle, creating a two tone effect. She had a cute button nose, creamy skin that was lightly freckled across her face and a wide open smile that made all his efforts in keeping her safe and sound worth while. Everything bad, painful and disgusting melted away when he was with her, like all his sins were repented because he took care of her.

_**Thwack!**_

"You better stop teachin' your girl your bad habits. Bad enough she can smile trouble 'way, I don' want her learnin' no trade, you hear boy?" Tante Mattie scolded Remy, waving her heavy cast iron spatula at him.

"Where's de fun in dat?" he asked, rubbing the sore spot on his head, giving Dawn a wink which she caught and smiled. He had already taught her several tricks of the trade---the slide of hand, sly diversion, how to get in and out of locked places--Tante Mattie hit him again which caused Dawn to giggle before Tante Mattie went to the stove to gather their breakfast.

This was the life but it was far from what she once knew. This place was hot and humid while the other place used to be cold and dry. This place was green and full of life while the other place used to be white and life had to struggle to survive. And where she now had a Papa who loved and teased her, there she had a Mum who cared and protected her.

Because once, she had felt the hate and the anger. Once she knew what it was like to know fear. She knew what it was like to lose that someone who you loved. She knows what evil looks like just like she knows what the savior looks like.

He looked like her Papa.

Remy LeBeau looked over at his daughter and saw that she had that soft look of awe and love, the same look she had when he saved her all those years ago one icy cold early morning. When he held her in his arms as she told him that bad men tried to hurt her but hurt her mum instead. He could remember telling her that he and his friends were going to stop the bad men once and for all, and see the relief in her eyes when he told her he was going to take her someplace safe.

"_Cherie_?" he snapped his fingers in front of her face and she twitched startled. "You a'right?"

"Oh. Yeah." she smiled at him. "Never better."

He nodded before switching subjects, wasting away the early morning before Dawn rushed off to school.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

School was a private academy in the rebuilt French Quarter and home to children of the rich and connected, of the powerful and deadly and heirs of empires and corporations. It was also run by the Church so it was on neutral ground by all those who would seek to harm or gain a hold of the children of their enemies. It was the main reason Dawn LeBeau went here.

"Dawn!" Dawn turned around just as a young girl with deep blonde hair and bright green eyes jumped at her, wrapping her arms around her in a bear hug. Dawn and the girl squealed in delight in seeing each other even though it had only been a few hours since they've seen each other last. "I've missed you!"

"I missed you too Jessia." Jessia Bolívar pulled back from Dawn, looping her arm with hers as they headed towards the Church for morning prayer. Jessia and Dawn were best friends who each had a secret. Bolívar was the daughter of the second in command of the Assassins' Guild while Remy LeBeau was known to be head of the Thieves' Guild. Although Gambit had long ago united the Guilds to create the Unified Guilds, a few still believed in the old ways. In essence, they were blood enemies but didn't know it. "Did you catch last night's episode? OMG! Just how drool worthy was Dean?!"

Jessia scoffed jokingly, "Are you kiddin'? Sam was soo much more drool worthy den dat old guy."

Dawn gasped and slapped Jessia on the arm. "Take that back Sam whiner!"

"No way Dean Butch!"

"What does that mean?" Dawn asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I don' know. I read it on someone's LJ page. I was goin' t' wiki it but Papa called me for dinner before I could." Jessia said with a shrug. "They were saying somethin' bout bein' slash fans too. Like Suriel and Dastiel?"

"What's that?" Dawn asked as she went in first to the row they were assigned to sit in and moved all the way down towards the middle.

"More angels maybe?" Jessia offered as they sat down.

"It kinda sounds like Uriel--" They both made ick faces "And Castiel." They both sighed dreamily. "Now that's an angel I wouldn't mind meeting."

"Same here!" They broke into giggles which they quickly stopped when the closest nun cleared her throat loudly and gave them both a severe look. Dawn and Jessia rolled their eyes before sitting up straight as the priest walked up the stairs and started the morning service.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

**Utopia X-men HQ**

Scott Summers, the man known as Cyclops and undeniable leader of the X-men, stared out over the island he called home before he moved his eyes to the group of young mutants who played a game in the enclosed courtyard. They weren't so young anymore, they weren't kids. They hadn't been kids for a long, long time. And that was the problem.

Trouble came and went but the mutant problem remained. For five years there has not been one single mutant birth since the Mutant Messiah was born. And she was gone, travelling in the future with only Cable to defend her. Or so he hoped. He risked the entire fate of the mutant race on Cable, his son, and hoped that he was raising her right.

Hoped that she was free.

That she was safe.

Cyclops put a lot of faith in Cable and he knew that the whole future of the mutant kind was put on her young shoulders for if, _when_, she came back. Other than a few short messages he received from Cable, it sounded like she was doing ok and for that he was glad. One trouble lifted from him, leaving a whole world's worth on him. As leader of the X-men, all eyes were on him, the cynics, the hopefuls and especially the ones who wanted all mutants dead.

But at least here on Utopia, all those worries wouldn't fall on the mutants and former mutants who had answered his call for salvation in a world that hated and feared them. They could live a simple, carefree life. They could leave that life for the ones that stood up and fought for their right to live.

The X-men were there for them, never faltering, never waning against the darkness.

Since Cyclops and the X-men separated from the U.S. during Norman Osborne's reign and though the reigns had been passed on, they remained apart, relying on the Atlantean's who built their city below the island to prevent it from sinking and therefore, brought together their two races for better or for worse. These were the better times but there had been worst and each time brought them closer until it was nay impossible to not come to the defense of the other even if it didn't involve them. Mutants and Atlantean's saw each other as kin now, outsiders to a world that was hostile and indifferent to their plight.

"Such gloom thoughts on such a nice day my love." He turned to see Emma Frost, the White Queen, his lover and co-leader approach him "Must you always work?"

"There's no rest of the wicked or the people who stop them." Cyclops said straightening up. Emma walked up to him and leaned up to give him a proper kiss. It still amazed her that after all this time, they were still strong and in love even though many of the X-men had their doubts about them…some still did. It was like they were waiting for the other shoe to drop. Emma hated to admit it, even to herself but she was waiting for it as well.

But when she was with Scott, like this, a man and a woman, all the doubts disappeared and she could see them lasting for a very long time. Only one thing was missing…one thing that she didn't think she would have wanted, the one thing that she had avoided for years now. She played with her empty ring finger idly before she pulled back from him.

"Well, I know I took you mind of those nasty things for now but--" She stopped as she felt something hit her though there was nothing around her. She gasped, pushing back from Scott as her eyes widened. "Oh no!"

"Emma what--!" Scott was cut off as Emma screamed and clutched her head in pain. A moment later he screamed and clutched his own head as he was hit with a massive backlash of psychic energy. It was energy full of pain and terror---of black hatred so sudden it was inhuman before it disappeared as it appeared, leaving the bitter taste of sorrow and confusion in its wake. When he came to, he saw Wolverine and Rogue, leaders of their own teams and the ones he had come to rely on when the chips were down. Wolverine led the black ops team the X-force while Rogue led the New X-men, the last generation of mutants now young adults.

"Report." He said, his tongue feeling thick and heavy as Nightcrawler popped in with smoke, burning strongly in his nostrils, carrying with him Doctor Nemesis. He kneeled down as he checked on Emma's condition. She was still woozy from that hit but seemed to be getting over it fast.

"The Cuckoos were hit hard. So was the Professor. As was every other telepath, empath and psychic we have." Rogue said, helping Scott to his feet. She held him steady, his weight nothing more than a feather to her incredible strength. Since the Professor helped her with her powers, she could do anything she wanted---no limits, no barriers except the ones she made herself. "Cerebra was hit hard but not before it zeroed in on the cause of the disturbance. Prodigy is there now, fixing it so we can get more information of what's happening"

"Where?"

"New Orleans."

Cyclops said nothing, waiting for Rogue or Wolverine to say the words that he knew they hesitated to say. Words that for the last five years he'd been waiting to hear...since Hope and Cable disappeared.

"All the reports say one thing." Wolverine spoke, breaking the silence. "We have a unregister mutant on our hands. Someone who is very powerful and---Why would Cable and Hope be in New Orleans?"

"Why don't we go and ask them?" Cyclops said, letting go of Rogue and headed for the landing field. "Emma contact the Alpha team and have them meet us at the Blackbird. Have Utopia go into Alert Level Beta and all civilians go underground. If this is a diversion tactic, we will be prepared. Rogue, gather your best students, no more than three and head to New Orleans as fast as you can. I want someone there as soon as possible. I don't want another Coppertown to happen."

As he headed down the stairs that would lead him to the landing field, he swore that no matter what happened, they would win this day and take back what the Scarlet Witch had stolen...the future of mutant kind.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: After a very long Hiatus, I'm back with a new Chapter! \(^0^)/ yay! Thanks to everyone who favorited, followed and reviewed! Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 3: Ashes, Ashes We All Fall**

* * *

The black car slid into a halt just pass the parked police cars, fire engines and ambulances that crowded the street of the school. He didn't even shut his door, too anxious to find his daughter, calling out her name and dodging the emergency personnel that hurried about doing their jobs. He found her alone, sitting on the steps in front of the church with her head buried in her arms.

"Dawn!" He was at her side in an instant, dropping to his knees in front of her. A gasp escaped him when she looked up at him, her eyes-

"Oh Papa, a bad thing happened and people were hurt and my heart hurts and my head hurts...!" She broke out in a tearful rush, her breathe hitching and catching as she spoke. Her hands were shaking and covered-

"You have blood on you."

"No one will talk to me. They make signs of the cross against me and whisper prayers. And Jessia won't talk to me! They took her away and-and-my eyes...they-they say something about my eyes."

"Shh, there's nothing wrong with your eyes. They're still beautiful." And he spoke the truth, they were still beautiful even if they were a pulsing burning red. They were still Dawn's eyes.

She broke into shuddering sobs, and was instantly embraced in a tight hold and pulled against his body. Remy hated to see his little girl crying so heart-brokenly so. He glared at everyone around them, hating how they shunned her when Dawn needed them the most. He pulled her into his lap and tucked her close as he soothed her. After a while, her tears slowed.

"Tell me what happened."

"I'm scared, _non_. I won't say what happened."

"Please _cherie_. I need t' know."

A fresh wave of tears start up and the words come tumbling out.

"They hurt Jessia."

* * *

The final bells resonated in the high archways of the church and its buildings as many of the students gathered their belongings and headed out to the front gates for the journey home. Outside on the street, black cars with black suited men waited for their young masters to appear to be taken home.

It was a abuzz of activity and nothing appeared out of place and why should it? Everyone knew this was a neutral zone and whoever broke the peace here, would expect the whole of rich, powerful and dangerous parents and their organizations to come crashing down on them. It was that arrogance of fear and power that left the window open for the small trio to come in.

These men had nothing left to lose, nor did they care what happened to them so long as they got their blood vengeance on the family that had destroyed their homes...their livelihood...their families.

Let the family mourn and rage like they had to. Let them feel the pain and loss and be helpless to do anything but suffer it.

"-An' so tonight we should totally have a sleepover!"

"I don't know. I never slept over at anyone's house."

"Well den, we will just have t' fix that. Because sleepovers are de best thing ever especially for girls. We can stay up late an' giggle over boys an' make up an' have pillow fights! We can annoy our brothers an' sisters an'-Dawn we will have so much fun I swear!" Jessia threw her arm around Dawn's shoulder and pulled her close for a hug. They were best friends for a reason, she knew. Dawn's quirk was she could be open and friendly to complete strangers but she never let anyone close enough to know her. Jessia was reserved and tight-lipped about herself but once she befriended you, you knew everything there was to know. It was something her grandfather was trying to rub out of her with little success.

"I really don't want to-are you sure your parents will be ok with having me over? I mean, they don't even like Papa." Dawn said with a roll of her eyes. The first time their parents had met, Papa had come away with a bruised lip but Jessia's papa had come away with a bloody nose. The second time, Papa had come away with a hand-print on his cheek and Jessia's mama had walked away with her eyes angry and her cheeks burning red from embarrassment. After those two meetings, Jessia and Dawn had forbidden their parents from meeting each other because it was so embarrassing for them. It was the only thing the school kids would talk about.

"Dawnie, Dawnie..." Jessia sighed shaking her head. "My parents love you."

"That's not my name." Dawn said with a half hearted sulk. Jessia laughed and released Dawn, skipping down the few steps that led to the gates before turning around, her hands clasped behind her back.

"But I can call you whatever I want because you're my friend." Jessia said waiting as Dawn caught up to her at the bottom of the stairs. "Just like you can call me whatever you want because I am your friend."

Dawn tilt her head to the side like a bird, a slight furrow in her brow as she thought of something. After a moment, she smiled.

"Bitch."

Jessia's smile widens and she giggled as she bumped Dawn with her shoulder. "Jerk."

Warmth spread through the rest of Dawn's body with Jessia's reply, pleased that Jessia understood the reference of the word and returned it in kind. She bumped Jessia back, laughing as Jessia stumbled slightly off to the side. She was happy, she would realize later, truly really happy at this moment and nothing she had felt could take this from her. She had a best friend who understood her and cared for her.

A father and aunt who loved her and wanted the best for her.

Everyone she loved and cared for were safe and healthy and happy. This, she had thought, could be what heaven on earth feels-

"Excuse me."

Jessia and Dawn turned to see a man standing close by.

And then Jessia fell backwards, a red circle blooming across her chest. Dawn gasped, frozen in place as the man approached Jessia with a gun, a gun he had just used against her best friend, and pointed it down at her as Jessia whimpered and gasped.

"Jessia." It was a whisper, spoke with shock, fear and full of pleading to understand what was happening. _Why was this happening? Who is this man? Why are you lying on the ground with a red chest? Please, what's going on?_

"-Dawn." A word of help. Full of fear for her friend and please help, _I'm hurting, why am I hurting, I can't breathe, what's this taste in my mouth...hurt, hurt, please, please, please help, help, help...dawn..._

The world grew loud, screams and guns shooting; car doors slamming and cars speeding away from the scene, all of it overwhelming to Dawn as she collapsed to her knees as she watched the hammer pull back and then...blessed silent...and a white hot light.

Then nothing.

* * *

"They hurt her so bad."

A look to the side where EMT's were talking to a young blonde girl, her green eyes empty and pale, her once rosy skin faded to make it look like she was a fragile thing who could break at the slightest movement. She was covered in blood but when the EMT's had checked her they didn't find a wound. This girl who he met a few times and each time had felt like he was a juicy steak dropped in a hungry lions den, she was that demanding and fierce and-she was just a kid. He couldn't imagine what she would be like as a full grown woman. But this girl now, being led by the EMT's with a blanket wrapped too loosely around her shoulders was nothing like that girl he knew.

"They hurt her!" Dawn cried in his shoulder, her words tinged with heat as she grew tense.

"Shh, Dawn, it's over now. Papa has you _cherie_. There are no bad men." Remy soothed his daughter, stroking her hair.

"No, there are no bad men." Dawn agreed to Remy's relief which disappeared with a cold chill at Dawn's next words. "Not anymore. She made them go away."

Remy's heart felt like it was stuck in his throat, a heavy throbbing thing that pounded away as he struggled to speak before he asked the all important question he prayed wasn't what he thought it was.

"Who did?"

"The Bright Lady. She came and-burned away the wicked. And the others came and-Papa my head hurts. Make it stop, I can't think!" Dawn broke into sobs then as the words echoed in Remy's mind, remembering something she had once said.

_"Did the Bright Lady send you?"_

_It's years earlier, a few hours after Coppertown and the girl called Dawn is laying in his bed, covered under all the blankets he could get away with because she said she was cold. Sinister had checked her over once, at his behalf and announced her healthy and fit with some slight bruising and scratches and told him to never bother him again over a flat-scan when the mutant baby is still missing._

_"Who?"_

_Dawn hasn't spoken since he brought her here and hid her face in his shoulder when anyone approached them since she refused to be parted from him. There's some downtime until the next mission and seeing how tired she was, he had brought her to his room to get some sleep. But she won't sleep without someone holding her so he's taking off his coat to slid in bed next to her when she says, "Mama always said that the Bright Lady was watching over us. She's a goddess, she's life and she's fire. Mama always said that if I ever needed help, to call on the Bright Lady and that she would come. Because I'm her beloved child."_

_She slid close to Remy, curling her hands under her chin as she tucked her head next to his chest. She breathed in deep, letting it out in a slow sigh, her eyes closing. It's quiet until she spoke again. "She came when I called her. When the world was loud and scary, she came and burnt the bad men away. When my heart hurt so bad, she came and took away the pain. She kept me safe until you came and decided that I should stay with you because you can keep me safe. She went away then but promised to come back when I call for her."_

_She went to sleep then, leaving more questions than answers about this Bright Lady she talked about. But he let it slide, after all she was just a small child who had witnessed a horrible event, who lost her mother and home in one swoop so it made sense that she would make up a fiery goddess who saved her instead of realizing that she had saved herself because she was a mutant._

As he looked around at the many fires that burned around them, he knew without a doubt that she had caused them, that in an act of fear and he sensed anger that she had lashed out like she did in Alaska all those years ago. Only the fires couldn't be blamed on the Purifiers and there were witnesses now, people who saw the fire explode from a little girl and take flight only to go after the three bodies now lying with white sheets pulled over their burnt unrecognizable forms. They watched in terror as the fire shattered into small bursts of lights that flew out and crashed into other buildings and created more fires before suddenly disappearing.

They would say so many things and it would be a headache for the police to make sense of anything they would say but it wouldn't be long before someone would put the pieces together and come after Dawn.

He lifted a still crying Dawn in his arms and carried her to the car, moving so calmly and quiet that the police didn't take notice of him as he loaded Dawn in the car he came in before getting in himself and started the car. This was his skill as a thief; to be able to move in a crowd without being noticed only this time someone did notice and reached for a radio as he drove away.

He put his message through and the relays sent his message through the channels until it reached HQ. A runner ran to give the message to the man in charge, swallowing nervously as the man with the white slick back hair and red eyes flashed and he spoke, "The mutant child has been found. Send the teams to its locations. We will destroy it before it attacks again."

"Yes Bastion sir."

Bastion ignored the man, ignored everyone and everything as he looked at the giant screen in front of him as he pulled up images of the fire, until he found the one picture he needed and enlarged it. She was different than he though she would look but then again the only picture he had of her was when she was older, after she had caused such destruction.

The mutant messiah.

The murderer of millions.

Her eyes were larger, the color completely different and her skin was darker in color, not the pale he knew it should have been. She was taller at this age than the information he held in his cortex, and a bit heavier and rounder...things about this child were different, minor things but she was a mutant, of that he knew. His sensors were never wrong.

She would die.

* * *

Rogue's team had looked for the child said to have caused the fires but couldn't find a sign of her, minutes too late to have spotted her in the arms of the man they knew as a traitor and former lover. But they had found the girl who had been close to her.

She was quiet, too quiet and she stared blankly ahead of her. Closed off to the rest of the world the EMT's said when Mindee pressed for answers with telepathic influence. Traumatized, they said, as if attacked but she bore no marks on her. But other witnesses had said that she had been shot in the chest, at point blank range. Her uniform had certainly showed the signs, a huge bloodstain had covered her entire front and a hole from a bullet was over her chest but-

"I'm in Hell aren't I?"

The question shocked everyone. The girl they had identified as Jessia Bolivar, spoke softly her voice flat as if she were stating fact instead of asking a question. "That man killed me an' I'm in Hell. Dere's so much fire here."

"No. No sugah, you're alive." Rogue said softly. This girl looked like she would break, if not already.

"I died. I thought she was my friend. I never knew dat she-she brought me t' Hell." Jessia's voice quivered then and tears well up. "She was my friend." The tears slipped down her face.

"Who?"

"She put de fire around me an' it hurt so much an' I screamed but de fire didn't release me. I heard her say she was goin' t' save me but she only brought me t' Hell!"

"Tell me sugah, who did this to you?"

"She was supposed t' be my friend. My best friend...she called me a_ bitch_ and I called her a _jerk_ an'-dat's supposed t' mean something!" she screamed, making the EMT's jump.

"Rogue." Mindee spoke up.

"I know." Rogue sighed, pulling off one of her gloves.

"She won't be any more help." Mindee said as Rogue pressed two fingers to Jessia's forehead. Jessia slapped her hand away and glared at them but Rogue had the information she needed. She wore the shock of it on her face.

_'Ah don't believe it. He's—oh my gawd!'_

"Rogue?" Mindee watched as Rogue shook the shock off before leading Mindee to the rest of the team. Pixie and Hellion stood off the the side, not exactly hiding but well out of the way so no one would be bothered by their presence.

"Well, did you find her?" Pixie asked, her wings fluttering in excitement. A new mutant after all this time! "Is she here?"

"No. No, he would have taken her to a safe place already." Rogue said offhandedly.

"He? Some guy has her then?" Hellion stated. He was ready to fight, to take back what he thought was theirs. A mutant had no business being alone. "Do we know where and with who?"

"No and yes." At her student's strange looks, Rogue turned to Mindee. "Link up with your sisters. Tell them to search for Gambit mental signature. He has the girl who caused all this."

Pixie squealed in delight. A girl mutant! She was so going to win the money pot back on Utopia. But her excitement was cut short when she remembered, "Wait, didn't he work for that Sinister guy that time we were searching for the mutant baby all those years ago? He's a bad guy isn't he?"

"Shit, and he has the girl!" Hellion cursed. A faint green glow appeared around him.

Rogue frowned but didn't say anything. It had been five years since then and Gambit didn't contact anyone from the teams. Any attempt had been met with a stone wall, silence and flat out apathy to their cause. No one was in contact with him and for all they knew he could have been dead without Cerebra's scanners telling them otherwise. He didn't want anything to do with the rest of them. His actions were a complete mystery and secrets she knew, held the most danger.

But whether he wanted it or not, the large gaping void between him and everyone else was quickly disappearing. He had someone they needed to protect and/or save for the rest of the world. The girl needed to be on Utopia for her own sake, for the sake of all mutantkind.

Remy, no _Gambit_, better hope that he was ready because now had all the attention of the X-men pointed right at him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: To Close Your World**

* * *

**Another chapter! Whoo! Thanks to everyone who favorited, alerted and reviewed! You guys are awesome!**

* * *

Remy knew he was running short on time, hell he was out of time but he had to make sure that Dawn stayed safe. That she was protected from the war that she would be thrust into. A war he hid her from since he found her as the lone survivor in a genocide meant to take out the mutant messiah. He slammed his hand against the steering wheel in frustration as he was forced to stop for a red light. There should have been more time!

He looked over to see that Dawn was staring blankly out the window, tear streaks on her cheeks, closing herself off to the world with her knees drawn up to her chest. He couldn't let that happen, not when he needed her to be focused and clear minded.

He reached over and pinched her on the arm. She yelped and grabbed the sore spot, turning her wide glowing red eyes to him. He had hurt her...on purpose! "Papa!"

"Don' fall yet petite." he said. "I need you t' stay with me you understand? We have t' pull our infamous disappearin' act. It's not safe here." He glanced over at her and gave her his best devil-may-care grin. "We'll go someplace warm yeah?"

"It sounds fun." Dawn said quietly, wiping her tears away, sniffling as she did so. She put her feet on the floor and twisted in her seatbelt so she would have a better view of him. She looked like she wanted to say something to him but kept quiet for a long time before she asked, "Did I-" she paused. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Non." he replied quickly.

"But all those fires-" she protested.

"Non."

"And what everyone was saying-!" She was working up to a fit.

"**NO** Dawn." Remy said loudly and firmly. She leaned back against her seat, her eyes betraying her hurt and her accusations. He could see that she didn't believe him. "Dawn not'ing 'bout you is wrong. What happened today no one could have seen comin'; no one could have prevented it. What happened today is not your fault. Understand?"

"It's not my fault." Dawn echoes quietly.

"Believe me Dawn. I'll never lie t' you." Remy brought her hand up and kissed the back and she smiled. "You're my girl."

"And you're my Papa." Dawn hugged as much of his arm to her chest as she could. "I'll love you forever."

"Ha, just wait til you're a hormone bomb of a teenaged girl in love with some snot nosed punk, den let me know how much you love me yeah?" Remy said.

"Ew, gross." Dawn's nose winkled. "No boy will ever come between us Papa." Remy laughed and so did Dawn but their laughter died down after a while and they became silent. It was time to get serious.

"I need t' call Mattie, tell her t' get out of de house." Remy said, pressing the touch screen on the dash, sliding his finger down to the house number. "No tellin' how fast de others will get dere. Gotta warn her."

Dawn looked worried as she sucked her lower lip in between her teeth. The fingers on her right hand started tapping, slowly at first but soon they would be drumming. She was nervous and scared; she didn't want the others to come because Papa had always said that trouble tended to find them no matter where they were and what they did.

"Remy!" Tante Mattie's voice cut through his thoughts from the car speakers and a sigh of relief could be heard from Remy and Dawn. "What's goin' on out there? I hear on the news that there was a fire at Dawn's school and people were shot! Killed even!"

"Mattie, I have Dawn." Remy cut in her rant.

"Oh thank God. Is she safe? How is she?" The relief in her voice could be heard and Dawn smiled as her eyes glistened.

"She's not hurt physically. But she's scared. She don' remember nothin' dat happened." Remy said, glancing over at Dawn, being careful to pick his words. "But dis is too big. Too many people were around an'-"

"Gram we gotta leave." Dawn spoke up. "Papa thinks it's not safe anymore. And-"she glanced over at Remy. "The Bright Lady thinks it's not safe anymore either."

Remy jerked in surprise. Dawn shrugged in apology. This was the first time he heard her say anything about the Bright Lady speaking to her.

"Dawn. She spoke to you?" Mattie asked after a pause.

Mattie and Remy had talked long and hard about this Bright Lady Dawn had spoken about since he had brought Dawn to New Orleans. He had told her about how he found her and what happened when he did. He talked about how she seemed to forget everything that night other than the fact that her momma had died and bad men came. How she spoke about this Bright Lady like she was a real breathing Goddess because momma had always talked about her like one.

Mattie didn't think anything of it at first but she soon changed her mind as the nightmares came, the utter dislike of cold weather and snow...it took years to get her to step into the Church much less to get over her fear of the cross. Whenever she was scared, upset or felt anger, she called on the Bright Lady for help. Things happened when she did. Nothing major, a knocked over vase, a broken window, small things but it was enough to convince Mattie, Remy and especially Dawn that the Bright Lady was real enough to be taken seriously.

"You won't be mad?" Dawn asked. _Whatever Mattie said next would be world altering_, Remy thought, _for Dawn her world hung on the words of the people she loved_. "She's not bad...I'm not bad for talking to her am I?"

"No cherie. You're my child; I would love you no matter what happens, you know that." Mattie said. "You take care Dawn. I'll see you and your Papa at the safe house."

"Love you Gram. And tell Birdie I love her and will see her soon."

Remy gave Mattie some more instructions and said his goodbyes by the time they reached the temporarily safe house, an old brick townhouse that the Thieves Guild used time from time. It belonged to him now and he was glad he had thought to take ownership of it under a different name so few people knew about it. He rushed Dawn inside and led her to the bathroom so she could shower and change out of her bloodied school uniform.

As the shower ran, he went to the hidden safe near the fireplace and pulled out the cell he had there. As soon as it was turned on, he pressed speed dial and a voice answer.

"Yes?"

"Dawn needs your protection."

"Where?"

"At de town house."

"I'll be there soon. I'll use the terrasect."

The phone call ended and Remy let his shoulders sag, letting himself relax for a moment. He wasn't going to break his promise to her. She was safe now. If something happened to him, she wouldn't be alone. She would be cared for. And for Remy, that was the most important thing in the world.

* * *

_*And Rogue is certain that the mutant girl is with Gambit.*_ Emma asked Mindee via telepathic link and shared what she heard to Cyclops. She and the other X-men team were just outside of New Orleans city limits, flying the Blackbird jet.

_*Yes. From what I gleaned from the young girl's mind, she believed that the girl is his daughter.*_

_***His daughter?* **_This came from Cyclops.

_*Correct. Dawn Autumn LeBeau, age 10 had moved to New Orleans four years ago with her father after her mother died. They live happily together with an old woman named Tante Mattie her grandmother. From what I understand, he is a wonderful father who puts Dawn first before everything.*_

Cyclops leaned back against his seat, taking in what Mindee had said as Emma stared at him questioningly. So this girl wasn't the girl Cable had taken to the future. She was new and somehow a mutant. A ray of hope for the future of mutantkind. It meant that maybe the Scarlet Witch's spell was fading or that somehow nature found a way around the spell. He frowned at himself. It was too early to make speculations.

They had to get the girl to safety on Utopia before anyone else decided to grab her. But knowing Gambit, he was already three steps ahead of them. He probably already had spirited her away to some hidden place and when he had Celeste and Phoebe search for Gambit's mental signature they were cut off, proving that he thought of psychic shielding against telepaths.

The window of finding him and the girl was rapidly disappearing as each second passed and if they didn't find him now, there was no telling when he would reappear. It could be months...years and Cyclops couldn't let that happen. Because for some reason, Gambit thought it was better to have no contact with the team or anyone else for that matter for all these years. To keep himself isolated and hidden from them and he suspected that it had to do with his daughter.

She needed to be protected. She needed to be among her own kind. Gambit would just have to deal with it.

_**"Rogue, the Cuckoos have pinpointed an area that is unreadable to them. Head there and search the area. You might be able to find them through a physical encounter. If you do, just talk to him, make him see that Dawn needs to come with us back to Utopia. We will be there soon."**_

_*We're on it.*_

Emma ended contact with Rogue and sat back in her seat, watching the expressions on Cyclops' face. Years of living with him and had taught her to read his face while everyone else couldn't. He was suspicious and worried. What secrets was Gambit hiding?

Emma didn't like this. She didn't like this matter at all.

* * *

Dawn combed her damp hair as she stared at her reflection, curious and in awe with how she looked. She didn't think she would change so much in such a short time but change she did. She didn't look like the girl she saw this morning and she knew it had to do with the color of her eyes. Now that she calmed down a bit and was clean, the glowing of her eyes had died down. They were still red though.

She put the comb down and leaned forward against the vanity, moving closer to her reflection. She pressed her cheeks together, let go, bared her teeth and pulled her lips apart before giggling. She scrunched her nose and closed one eye before widening her eyes in terror. She dropped the look and stuck out her tongue.

"Huh. I feel the same and look the same so I must still be me." She said, putting her hands on her hips as she stepped back from the vanity to get a better look at herself. She was dressed in gray hoodie with a dark blue heavy cotton jacket and torn light blue jeans with black boots. No one would be able to guess she was a girl when she hid her hair and she looked cute enough to pass as a girl when she wanted too. She had the perfect camouflage. "Right?"

"Yes."

"Ok. I'm still me and if I'm till me then I'll be okay. The only thing that changed is...this. whole...um thing that's happening I guess." Dawn frowned at herself. "So what is this whole thing that is happening? I think I'll go ask Daddy. He'll know what's going on right?"

"Uh huh."

"The world had changed, but not me. I'm still Dawn."

"Don't worry Dawn, we'll be fine."

Dawn grinned at her reflection and skipped out of the bathroom, feeling much better now that she talked about it. She found Papa in the kitchen making a plate of food for her to eat.

"Papa." He turned and set the plate down and opened his arms. She rushed over and hugged him, giving a slight jump and wrapped her arms around his neck as he buried his nose in her neck as he held her up. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Dawn pulled back. "I'm okay." she announced.

"Are you sure?" Remy asked as he set her down on the counter.

"Yeah. I talked it out with myself just like Dr. Kajiura said to do and I decided that we'll be okay. We have each other right so everything will be okay." Dawn said, swinging her feet out. She reached for the plate. "I'm starving! Thanks Daddy for making a plate!"

Remy grinned at her and rumpled her hair good naturally as she ate. Dr. Kajiura...god he hadn't heard that name in years, not since he had first taken Dawn to her 5 years ago. She was a specialist who worked with traumatized children. A bonus is that she works specifically with children who had bad experiences with supers. Either kidnapped by super villains or used horribly so. She had worked wonders with helping Dawn overcome her fears and settled down to a normal life. She helped him to learn techniques to use if Dawn had a relapse or breakdown after Dawn was released from her treatment.

**Ding Dong!**

They looked towards the front door, which could be seen from the kitchen before looking at each other. No one knew they were here...and normally no one ever came to this place except them for times when it needed to look like people lived here.

**Ding Dong!**

Dawn spoke first. "It could be the girl scouts. Some girls in my class were selling cookies again. And I saw a few of them walking around when we drove here."

Remy gave a grunt as Dawn popped a chip in her mouth. She didn't seem too worried and he knew he shouldn't either but everything seemed to be too laxed given what has happened today. He should take it as a sign for well executed planning, or forward thinking. He did well with planning their escape from New Orleans... no one except a choice few knew they were here.

**Ding Dong!**

"Want me to get it? I bet they have those coconut caramel cookies." Dawn said jumping off the counter.

"Non. I'll go get the down. You finish eating yeah?"

"Ok." Dawn snapped a carrot in her teeth.

Remy nodded and headed for the door as Dawn walked to the sink to get some water. She raised the glass to her lips when hands covered her mouth and pulled her back. She tried to scream but couldn't.

_"Shhh. It's just me!"_ a low voice said in her ear.

Dawn's eyes widen as she looked up at the person who grabbed her. She grinned and whispered, _"It's you! Laurie!"_

X-23 nodded and released Dawn enough for her to turned around and hug her tight.

At the door Remy opened the door, a smile on his face that quickly faded as he took in the sight before him. "Rogue!"

"Hey sugah, long time no see." Rogue said with a smirk on her lips.


	5. Chapter 5

_**AN: Thanks so much to everyone who favorited and alerted this story! A special shout out to those who reviewed...you know who you are! You guys are freakin' awesome! XD Also please forgive if I messed up Rogue's accent...or kinda lack there of. She's kinda hard to write! XP**_

_**Phalanxx: I love X-23's new series too, its why I included her. :)**_

_**Jenna: Hopefully how I explained how the X-men found Gambit so quick makes sense...lol**_

_**bluecheesemoon: All things will be explained soon...**_

_**Ligeila: Don't worry. Gambit will get to kick plenty of ass in this story!**_

_**Gumbosgirl: Because Gambit was with the Marauders the last time the X-men saw him.**_

_**Okay on with the story!**_

* * *

**Chapter Five: Try to Stop This Fire**

* * *

They are ready for this battle.

It's been five years since the day the mutant baby had escaped them but they had been ready and had been training for the day she would return. It is as their leader had predicted...she would come unexpectedly but they would be ready.

They have gathered their forces and set up a perimeter to make sure that no mutant got out of that townhouse nestled in a normal human neighborhood. The damn freaks thought to hide among the clean humans and failed. They had snipers, foot soldiers, gunners in vans and even some with rocket launchers. In front, in the back, down the block and both directions and even had satellite thanks to the tech heads.

Today they will succeed in wiping out the mutant curse once and for all.

* * *

Gambit let Rogue and Mindee inside, closing the door behind them firmly after looking out to see if there were any others. He didn't see any so of course he knew they were out there, hidden from view with orders to come out if he tried to flee.

Rogue and Mindee were in the living room, looking around the room with a relaxed eye. A couch, a few chairs, a fireplace against the south wall and a stocked entertainment center against the west wall next to the door that led to the kitchen. It looked very much like a bachelor pad. Gambit knew they were looking for signs of Dawn but he had kept the place pretty tidy and informal-there was only two pictures of Dawn and him on the first floor. He could maneuver around the two women and put the frames face down before they could notice them.

"So, what do I owe t' dis pleasant surprise?" he asked with a wide grin. "It's not often I get two beautiful femmes like yourselves into my home."

"Really?" Mindee asked. "I was to understand you were quite a ladies man."

"Ah, dose were de days.." Gambit sighed, a hand over his heart. "Well cherie, dat was when I was young and brash. Don' get me wrong I love de ladies, I love em, but after awhile I discovered real love, lost it an' fell in love again and den lost it. Now I think bein' on my own is de best thing for dis old man." He said jumping over the oversized red couch and sat down, spreading his arms over the back, relaxed and calm. Mindee studied him but without her telepathic abilities she couldn't read him.

"Perhaps. But I believe you are lying." Mindee said after a while taking a seat rather primly on one of his overstuffed chairs.

Gambit laughed, throwing his head back before asking the straight forward young woman. "An' what make you t'ink dat?"

"Your vanity. You can't possibly think of yourself as an old man." Mindee replied. "You're only 35 years old."

"Is dat how old I am?" Gambit grinned. "How kind of you t' say dat _cherie_! I didn't t'ink you knew how t' reach into your seductive side. Thought you girls lost dat part of yourselves. Glad t' see dat just a myth. Let me tell you beautiful, a young woman like you, flattery will get you everywhere." He threw her a wink.

Mindee's cheeks flushed pink, a very uncommon thing and she went stiff at the effect he had on her.

"Remy." Rogue broke in, her tone heavy with warning as she stepped into his line of sight. He conceded and turned his attention to Rogue standing relaxed with her arms crossed near the entertainment center.

He was rather pleased to see though she looked relaxed, the fists she had curled against her chest said otherwise. She was upset about something and he had a feeling that it was because he had purposely ignored her since he let the two of them inside. And the obvious flirting with Mindee, the blonde blue eye beauty she was, right in front of her, an ex-girlfriend was bound to raise some hackles.

He waved his hand at her flippantly. "Go on den, tell Remy why you're here."

She jerked at his resigned tone, one he always used whenever he felt like he was being blamed for something. She couldn't tell if he was playing games with her but she didn't like it. "You know why we're here." she said getting straight to the point. No use in trying to hide anything from him since he had to know why they were there. He had a psychic damper for crying out loud!

"Do I?" he asked.

"Where is the girl Gambit?" she asked pushing away from the wall.

"What girl?"

"Where is Dawn? Where is your—daughter?" Rogue stumbled over the last word and she hoped like hell he missed it but from the quirk of his eyebrow she knew he hadn't.

Gambit paused, looking over at Mindee who huffed offended, "Like you don't already know that you have a damper over this whole block that keeps me from reading your mind and everyone else who lives here."

"At school. Dropped her off myself dis morning." he replied, locking eyes with Rogue. She nodded slowly. He wasn't going to deny it, there was no point. If they had gotten so far along to know Dawn's name then why hide it now? "Why do you ask?"

The tense silence that rose from his question broke as outside the townhouse a car alarm went off, catching them off guard. Rogue walked to the window to check out it out, lifting up the curtain slightly, enough for Gambit to see that it was his car that was flashing and going off.

He frowned slightly before he quickly moved his eyes through the doorway that led to the kitchen and he saw the car keys that he left on the kitchen counter (in plain sight) were gone and give a slight smile. No doubt they were now hanging on the wall next to the basement door and Dawn was out of sight and hopefully on to the next safe house. '_A girl who's just like her papa.' _he thought, wiping away his smile as Rogue and Mindee turned their attention to him again.

"Isn't that your car?" Mindee asked.

"I don' know, maybe?" Gambit asked.

"Stop lying Swamp Rat. It is, we ran the plates and had Cypher track it here through the traffic cams when first came looking for ya!" Rogue let go of the curtains. "That's how we found ya in the first place."

"Oh. Really." he nodded. It made sense to him. They were using the same tactic he would have used, admittedly a lot faster than he liked. He cursed silently as he walked to the kitchen to fetch his keys. They were moving faster than he planned and Dawn was alone. She had the plan down in her head thanks to all the drills he put her through but she was just a kid. She wouldn't be able to handle things on her own-

His thoughts broke off when he saw a small **X** cut into the wall right under the keys. He traced it with his fingers and pulled away some white dust and felt the sharp corners of the cut. It was new and made by something very sharp. He chuckled as he clutch the keys in his fingers, twirling them on a finger as he headed back to the two X-women.

Dawn wasn't alone. She had some very good company that would protect her and keep her hidden until he found them again.

_'Laurie, you're a godsend.'_

* * *

"Whew!" Dawn said as she finished pushing the storage boxes back into place against the concrete wall to hide the fake wall that covered the hatch she and X-23 just crawled through. "That was too close!"

"Indeed. Quick thinking with using the car alarm to cause a distraction for us to escape down to the basement." Laurie commented as she looked around the basement they were in. "Gambit created these hatches for escape didn't he?"

"Uh-huh." Dawn nodded. "Papa created a bunch of things for me in all the places we have. Just in case he said, so I would always have an escape. He paid some money to people to say that they needed to dig up old piping under the neighbors townhouses as an excuse to make these hidden hatches in their basements. They run in both directions to the end of the street. Can't be too careful he said."

She was across the basement, searching the wall for a hidden button, "Aha!" when she found it. She pressed the code in and the fake wall gave away to show the hidden hatch. "Come on Laurie."

"We'll go to the end of the street this way?" Laurie asked as she gently pushed Dawn behind her as she opened the hatch slowly in case there were people and sensing none, she pushed it open all the way. She crawled through.

"Yep." Dawn said as she followed.

"Then we will go to the very end and then enter the street." Laurie said. "From there we'll go to the next safe house to supply ourselves." She looked down at Dawn, sensing the tension under Dawn's cheery demeanor. "Gambit wanted to get you out of the city. He will want to know that you are safe."

"I know." Dawn struggled to brighten her smile. "He's always thinking of me. But he never thinks about himself. What if they take him away? Those people he was talking too?"

Laurie put her hand on Dawn's shoulder. "Then he will escape and come back to you. You know no walls can hold your father when he has someone to get back too."

Dawn giggled, to hide her tears but Laurie smelled the tears anyways. She didn't speak of them as she and Dawn headed to the next hatch. She prayed that Gambit would find his way to Dawn soon. But until then, Laurie will be there for Dawn just as they were for her all those years ago when she needed it.

"_Girl, you're some piece o' work." X-23's claws popped out of her hands and she whirled around to face the voice. Even though there was low visibility because of the downpour, she could see clearly. She hid her surprise pretty well she thought when she saw Gambit leaning against the wall, under some cover from the rain with a grin on his face. "I've been trackin' you for ages it seemed."_

"_Don't be lying Papa." Another voice said, younger and higher pitched than she was used to. A young girl with brown/green eyes poked her head out from behind him, her head covered by a oversized black hood. "We been following you for ten minutes only. Hi, my name is Dawn."_

"_Laurie. Why were you following me?" X-23 demanded, pulling her claws back in. The two didn't give off any dangerous vibes and she wasn't going to leave her claws out against a little girl. Against this Dawn. Gambit still wore his brown trench coat but the uniform was gone to be replaced with an all black look. Dawn she noticed, bore the same look with only a bright pink wool gloves on her hands._

"_We saw you alone. Thought we oughta come over an' say hello." Gambit said pushing off against the wall."Didn't think I'd see you wanderin' wit'out de X-men runnin' around."_

"_We parted ways." X-23 replied, turning away from them, her wet hair heavy against her back. "I don't have anything to do with them now or in the near future."_

"_Sounds good. I plan to keep it dat way myself." Gambit said walking towards X-23, his hand on Dawn's shoulder. "So, want some company?"_

"_No." X-23 started to walk away from them, not slowing down when she heard small steps hurrying to catch up with her._

"_No one wants to be alone Laurie." Dawn said at her side. "You don't have to face this thing that you're doing alone. We can be there for you."_

"_I am better off alone."_

"_No you're not. You need someone Laurie." Dawn stopped, as Laurie continued walking. She shouted. "I need someone Laurie!"_

_X-23 stopped and looked over her shoulder to see Dawn standing there, her hands in fists at her side and her eyes firmly on the ground as her shoulders shook. Her hood had fallen back and the rain fell on her exposed head. "I only have Papa but you have no one. Sometimes Papa needs to go away and-I don't know what you're doing right now but, I can feel that you need someone with you to do whatever it is that you're doing. You need answers."_

_Dawn looked up at X-23, the rain running down her face. "Papa said that you're a good person who had bad things happen to you. You're just like me. You're just like him. You're like us and we don't have to be alone anymore."_

_X-23 frowned as she turned to the girl, studying her. She was so young, no more than six years old and yet she spoke like she had experienced something dark and terrible. She bent down to stare Dawn in the eyes and found what she was looking for._

"_Yes."_

_Dawn's face lit up and she turned to Gambit. "She said yes!" She quickly ran up to Laurie and grabbed her hand, small fingers intertwining with her own larger ones. "Yes."_

"How many more houses until we reach the end of the street?" Laurie asked as she closed the hatch behind her as Dawn skipped to the next one, carefully moving the stuff out of the way without making it look it was moved. _'Gambit really did train her well.'_ Laurie thought as Dawn keyed in the code and stepped back for Laurie to take lead.

"Five more houses but we gotta be careful because one of the houses turned their basement into a game room for the kids." Dawn said, crawling behind Laurie after the all clear. "They're usually playing some kind of game and turn the sound up loud so we could just slip right through without them noticing. Sometimes Papa and I just sit in the back when they play movies. It's funny."

Laurie smirked. '_Leave it to Gambit to teach Dawn the fun of sneaking around.'_

* * *

"What's goin' on Gambit?" Rogue demanded. "Why was your car alarm goin' off?"

"I have no clue Rogue." Gambit replied as he pushed away from the window, his keys still in hand. "Sometimes de alarm goes off for no reason. I bought it cheap an' had it installed by less trustworthy folks y' know."

"Damnit Gambit, stop playing games! Stop spinning us 'round with lies! This is serious! Cerebra has blown a fuse after detecting a new mutant. All odds are that it is Dawn who had manifested. She needs to go to Utopia for her own safety."

Gambit whirled on Rogue. "No she doesn't! She's never goin' t' dat hole you call home as long as I'm alive!"

Rogue stepped back at the heat in his voice and the fierce glowing in his red eyes. "Remy."

"You t'ink I don' know what you're up t' but I do. So she's de first mutant t' have come since de baby five years ago. Big whoop. But we know what happened back den." Gambit backed away, his chest heaving as if he had run for a very long time until he hit the couch. He clenched the cushions in his fingers and his head fell forward so his eyes were staring at the ground. "I saw what happened when a mutant manifests. I was dere remember? Dawn...she doesn't deserve what happened t' her...not again. I made a promise t' her. I plan on keepin' it."

"De X-men can find another child t' paint a giant bulls-eye on. Dawn is stayin' as far from de X-men as I can get her." Gambit looked up, his head turned towards the window. "So you can all just-" His eyes widen and he ran forward, grabbing Rogue and Mindee by their wrists and pulled hard as a rocket crashed through the front window and exploded.

* * *

Laurie held Dawn in her arms as they felt the tremors beneath their feet and over their heads. Dawn clutched Laurie's arm in her hands, her eyes wide as she looked up at Laurie. "What was that?"

Laurie shook her head before picking Dawn up in her arms, not a small feat considering Dawn had grown since she had last picked her up a year ago. She ran up the stairs to the last house they had reached, ignoring the sounds of surprise from the owners as she slammed the basement door open and ran out the back door to the alley. A few others had sense to escape their own townhouses and were in the alley as well, running away from the source of the explosion.

Dawn held on to Laurie, her chin tucked over her left shoulder as she looked wide eyed back at the black smoke floating up into the sky. She held on tighter to Laurie as she figured out where the source of the smoke came from, breathing in a shuddering breathe as they turned on to the street and she lost sight of her house.

'Why?'

'Why?'

_ 'Why...me?'_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: Goodbye Wisteria Days: Part 1**

* * *

Fire climbed the walls of the room and thick black smoke slithered throughout the room and out the front window and broken door to the townhouse. The west wall collapsed on itself with a giant hole where the entertainment center was, exposing the kitchen, which was blown to pieces.

The townhouse was creaking from taking all this damage on the first floor which held vital beams that kept the second floor from falling on the first. If the fire continued, it wouldn't be long before the entire townhouse was destroyed.

Faint coughing sounded through the rubble, followed by a groan as Gambit rolled to his side, clutching the left side of his chest. He pulled away his hand to see it covered in blood. He felt the wound site, wincing as he felt a sharp piece of wood lodged itself in his chest. It didn't feel deep and it didn't move when he gently pulled or pushed on it so he decided to leave it where it was until this was all over.

If he survived...

He scooted over to Mindee, checking her pulse with his bloodied fingers and sighed relieved when he felt a strong pulse. With a quick check, he discovered that she didn't have any outside wounds except a large bump on her head, hopefully explaining why she was unconscious. Next he checked on Rogue, hissing under his breath as he saw the large deep cut on her right shoulder. He needed to put pressure on it to stop the bleeding, so he grabbed the nearest cloth he could find and wrapped it around her wound.

Rogue screamed herself awake as he knotted the cloth, quickly putting his hand over her mouth to cut off her scream. She looked at him in shock, nodding when he put a finger to his lips as a sign for quiet before pointing out the window.

There were people outside who could be listening. The same people who are after Dawn and who shot a rocket through his window.

"How did-?" Rogue asked as she took in the wreckage. "We survived this?"

Gambit patted the red couch. "Had it especially made wit' carbon fiber and Kevlar and solid iron plates as a frame. Its hell t' move around but worth de money." He leaned his head against the burnt couch. "Worth de money."

Rogue nodded, shaken with the knowledge that Gambit had somehow seen that it would have been needed, no necessary, to have something like an explosion proof shield in his house. Rogue scooted over to Mindee, gently touching her head and waited as she opened her eyes.

"ow." Mindee said, blinking as she sat up.

"Mindee, can you get in touch wit' the others?" Rogue asked, helping her to their feet. Gambit had done the same but he was shaky, needing to lean against the wall. Rogue swallowed her gasp when she saw the blood run down his side. "Tell 'em we met opposition here. Also tell 'em that Dawn is, on the run near this location alone. She'll need ta be extracted as soon as she is found."

Gambit groaned as he tied off a makeshift bandage around his chest. "Just leave her alone. She has nothing to do with all dis."

"You don't have a say in this right now Gambit." Rogue said sharply though she soften her tone as she approached him. "Remy, she needs ta be protected. You said it yourself, y' know what happens when a mutant manifests. Whoever is out there," she pointed out the window. "Know about her and are prepared ta kill her and whoever is with her."

"Ah'm sorry. But ah can't leave it t' you ta protect her anymore." Gambit didn't say anything, his eyes staring at the floor and his fists clenched tightly on his side. He hated to admit it, but what she was saying was true. It was a pipe dream to think that he alone could protect Dawn now. The rocket through the window had proven that. He looked out the back of the kitchen to see the purple flowering vine that Dawn had planted was burning.

"Goodbye." He whispered quietly to the plant.

"I have contact." Mindee spoke up, fingers against her temple. _*Miss Frost?*_

_*Mindee? Ow, what's happened? Are you in pain? I can see smoke across town from the school.*_

_*We found Gambit.*_

There was a pause.

_*Is the girl with him?*_

_*No. She's on the run. Alone.*_

Mindee winced, catching the notice of Rogue. "Miss Frost has a wide range of curses."

_*Miss Frost. We were attacked. They fired a rocket into the townhouse.*_

Emma felt her stomach drop as her worst fear was coming true. A terrible sense of déjà vu overcame her.

_*Someone knows about Dawn, I can feel them outside Gambit's townhouse. They were expecting us. They are armed and prepared to do whatever it takes to kill her. We need extraction now.*_

_*Where are Pixie and Hellion?*_

_*I don't know. I can't sense them nearby. They're gone.* _Mindee was troubled by her friends' disappearance. If whoever outside had gotten to them before the rocket-

_*We're coming for you now. Stay where you are.*_

"Cyclops head towards that black smoke. The Rogue's team needs an extraction quick." Emma said to Cyclops. He nodded and turned the jet towards the other team's location. _*Celeste and Phoebe?*_

_*Yes, Miss Frost.*_

_*Search for Pixie and Hellion's mental signature. They've separated from the rest of their team.*_

* * *

Dawn ran with Laurie's hand in her own, staying as close to the crowd as they could because Laurie said it would be safer. Dawn didn't understand but something told her the same thing. So she didn't protest but worried for their safety.

**_((so caring.))_**

_'I don't want them to get hurt.'_

_**((don't think about that now.))**_

"Laurie-" Dawn gasped as the burning in her chest got worst. She stumbled but Laurie held her up until Dawn could get her feet under her.

Laurie pulled her down behind a car, holding her close as they stopped so Dawn could catch her breath. Dawn rubbed her eyes and held her head in pain, the pounding getting worse the farther from home she got. Everything hurt so bad...

"Dawn?"

"My head hurts." Laurie frowned as she ran her fingers through Dawn's hair, feeling for any bumps or cuts. She found nothing. "I want this to go away. Make it go away Laurie..."

"I can't. I'm sorry." Laurie pulled Dawn close, hiding Dawn's face from the crowd when anyone got too close to see her eyes. Her glowing red eyes. They had been getting brighter since they escaped the townhouse.

Laurie was uncertain what Dawn's powers were but she hoped that they wouldn't expose them out in the open like this. And she hoped they weren't volatile. That would be dangerous to them all. She had hoped to meet with Remy to get his opinion on what was happening but that fell through when she arrived through the terrasect and saw that the X-men had beat her there.

"Come on. We have a long ways to go still." Laurie said, helping Dawn to her feet. They held hands and she led the way, pushing by a man with a white hoodie who was standing in the crowd. The scent of gunpowder hit her nose and her eyes widen as she turned her head to him, noticing his feral grin before she felt the world explode through her right eye.

A shot rang out and Dawn shut her eyes with a gasp, ducking behind Laurie as she pulled her claws out and slashed the air. A man screamed and then cursed. Another shot fired mad she felt Laurie jerk again, falling to her knees with her hair covering her face. Red dripped down to the sidewalk as Dawn screamed, tumbling to her knees.

Laurie pushed Dawn away weakly as another shot rang out and hit her in the chest just as Dawn landed behind the shelter of the car, hiding her from view. She stared wide eyed as Laurie fell to the side, her hair hiding her face except her mouth. Laurie's silent lips were pleading for her to run.

_'Run Dawnie. Don't stop-'_

Run.

_**((get up!))**_

Her hands fell away from her mouth and she pushed herself to her knees, realizing that she was shaking. The crowd had scattered when the gunshots fired, as a nearby policeman pulled his gun and fired on the man with the hoodie. He had jerked as he was shot and fell back out of sight.

"Laurie?"

_Mum._

_She laid just like this once. She-_

**_((you gotta get away!))_**

_-told me to run. But I couldn't._

**_((they're coming.))_**

_I couldn't leave her. Not alone._

**_((call for me.))_**

_Not when she was hurt._

"You! Stop where you are-!"

_Not there._

The policeman fell as he was shot.

Dawn looked up from Laurie to see a group of men in white hoodie head in her direction with guns in their hands, with cold hard eyes and a grim look on their faces. She turned on her knees and saw that more men were coming from behind her just as armed. She was trapped and Laurie was hurt and-

_There were fires all over the place. People were screaming and running and they were all disappearing and I was scared._

"Eh? The girl is still alive?"

**_((call me.))_**

"I'll take care of her." A man stepped ahead of the group and raised his gun at her, a manically grin on his face. He opened fired as Dawn gasped and brought her arms.

**_((call me!))_**

**"Sokatsui Shuuhei!"**

Fire exploded out of her and raced towards the man with the gun, engulfing him and the bullets in a wave of deadly heat, before flying pass him and engulfed the group behind him. Terrible screams could be heard from the men in the fire as Dawn covered her ears from the screams, shock written in her eyes as the fire finished that group and wrapped around her to get to the other group of men behind her.

As the flames receded, she felt a jolt of surprise when she saw a boy wrapped in flames, his black spiked hair and scowling face looking back at her before he disappeared with the fire.

"Shuuhei." she whispered. Dawn grabbed her chest as she felt a sharp pain in her heart and fell to the side, struggling to breathe. Her vision darkens around the edges as she rolled to her back, watching the sky turned black and disappeared.

_**((goodbye.))**_

* * *

"Are you sure?" Pixie asked as she and Hellion ran down the alley. "I think we should go back and help the rest of the team."

"No way. We have a mission. Find the girl remembers?" Hellion said to the pink/black haired girl next to him. "Cyclops wants her found and protected first. Above all others."

"Yeah but-" Pixie slowed down. "Rogue and Mindee are important too. Gambit even."

Hellion slowed down and grabbed Pixie's hand. "I know they are. After we find Laura and that girl, we'll go back for them. I promise."

Pixie looked unsure but nodded. "So you're sure it was X-23? For real?"

Hellion nodded. "I'm sure. That was Laura. I would recognize her anywhere. She had the new mutant girl."

"Why is she in New Orleans? And why did she have the girl?" Pixie asked as they finally entered the street and ran in the direction people were running from. It would be easier to fly up in the air to look for Laura, but it would also draw attention to their presence and from what they saw at Gambit's townhouse, that was something they needed to avoid.

"I don't know. Last I heard X was in Sydney Australia." Hellion replied.

"And how long ago was that?"

"Um, three years ago?"

"You dork! She could have-Ah!"

"Megan!" Hellion caught Pixie as she stumbled, holding her bloody right arm. "Oh god!"

"I've been shot!" Pixie yelled in surprised pain. She held her arm tighter to keep from bleeding too much but she could feel that the bullet had hit something. "Julian, it's bad!"

Hellion picked up Pixie and quickly hid behind a car as more guns fired at them. The bullet tore through the car but didn't penetrate his TK shield. He helped Pixie wrap her arm, while calling for Mindee with his mind. He wasn't a telepath but he hoped that she could 'hear' his thoughts since they were on the same team and all. Carefully, he poked his head over the car to see who was firing at them and felt his anger grow.

"Purifiers." he hissed. "The Purifiers are here!"

"Julian!" Pixie grabbed his arm, frighten. She didn't like the Purifiers. She didn't like anyone who hated mutants but she feared the humans who did more. She had been on the wrong end of a beating once and that fear had stuck with her.

"Megan. I know you're scared but don't be. Be brave, you have to." Hellion ducked back down and gently grabbed Pixie by the shoulders and shook her. "These monsters can't get to the girl. They'll kill her. They've done horrible things in the past. They don't care who is in the way. You know this."

Pixie nodded, swallowing her fear but feeling it weigh heavy in her stomach. "Ok."

"Ok." Hellion let her go. "I'll knock them down and-"

"And I'll take them out." Pixie said with a firm nod. She gave him a shaky smile.

"Let's go." Hellion returned her smile with a grin. He stood up and quickly threw up a shield as the Purifiers fired at him. He counted ten men, dressed in white hoodies with thick black crosses on the front, and he bet, on the back. It was an updated look.

_The Purifiers were nothing if not predicable, _he thought as he sent out a telekinetic pulse to knock them off their feet. _Give them a mutant target and they'd forget everything else._

The men climbed to their feet, angry that a mutant got the best of them and all fired at once at him. Hellion remained where he was with his shield protecting him, a nasty grin on his face. So concentrated on him, the Purifiers didn't see Pixie fly over them until she let loose a cloud of pixie dust on them. They yelled and coughed as the dust covered them in a fog. A few shot up at her but she quickly dove behind Hellion's shield.

"Good job Pixie." Hellion said as the Purifiers quickly succumbed to Pixie's dust. When the last of the Purifiers fell to the ground in a drooling daze, he dropped the shield and they headed to the men. "Let's get some answers. Oi! You there!" He grabbed a still conscious man by the collar. "What the hell are you doing here? How did you find us?"

"Beep. Beep. Follow the-" the man drooled excessively before his eyes rolled up.

"Ew." Pixie commented as she searched the rest of the men. "I think I overdid it on them." She frowned and picked up a handheld device that looked like a phone. "Hey check this out."

She handed the device to Hellion. "Looks like they upgraded."

"You can't buy this in a store, that's for sure." Hellion said as he looked over the device. It looked like something he would buy when he had money. He gave Pixie back the device. "You do something with it."

"Me?"

"You're a chick. You know phones." Pixie opened her mouth to protest but stopped. It was true she was always on her phone texting and chatting with her friends or playing games.

She started pressing the screen as Hellion kept a look out. A minute went by before she cried out, "I got it!" She showed Hellion what she found. "Look, they have a mutant detecting app! That's out they found us see? You point the camera at a crowd and if you see a different shade around a person than that person is a mutant." She stood in front of the device and waved her arms for Hellion to see that her form was tinged red while the Purifiers behind her were normal colored. "And I think those arrows on the top of the screen are like locators. They point out directions of other members that I bet also have apps like this."

"Meaning?"

"Well, this is where we came from," she pointed the phone towards the black smoke where the arrows flashed towards. "It means that someone over there has the same phone and app. Our phone is sharing with their phone and its saying that they found mutants. If you go this way…" she pointed the phone towards the direction they were chasing Laura and saw that the arrows there were flashing mutant. "It would lead us to the other group. They say they also found mutants."

"Man, that's crazy. A hand held mutant scanner." Hellion said with disgust but amazed. "That means we can use this thing to find Laura and the new girl!"

"But it only works if we're close to them or if the Purifiers find them first!" Pixie pointed out.

"It's Laura Pixie. She would never let anything happen to the new girl." Hellion said, wrapping his arms around Pixie's small waist as he used his powers to lift them up in the air. "Hang on, you direct me where we need to go."

* * *

A blind man crouched on the ground, pressed close to a concrete stairwell of a home, hiding among the wisteria vines, praying to God and his angels to protect him. He prayed that this violence stop, he prayed that the screams he heard would soften and the guns would silence. He heard so many things that he became lost and had sought the only comfort he could find. His partner struggled in his arms, whimpering in fear and panting from the effort to escape. He soothed the fur on her muzzle, his heart jumping in his chest as she growled fiercely.

That scared him. Joplin was the gentlest creature he knew, why is she growling like this?

Sobbing entered his range of hearing and he held his breath as the sobbing came close with the sound of scraping, like something was being dragged across the ground. Joplin continued growling as the source of the sobbing stopped in front of him and something heavy dropped. He heard a whimper and knew that it was a girl in front of him.

He wanted to reach out, to call for her but he stopped as a burning heat entered his chest. He choked as the girl grunted, breathing heavy and slowly continued on, the scraping sound following her. He fell back against the concrete, gasping and clutching Joplin close as fear hugged him tight.

In all his years of being blind, he never feared anything he couldn't see…until now.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Goodbye Wisteria Days: Part 2**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men.**

* * *

The Father rushed through the aisle of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, his hurried steps echoing on the polished stone floors to the wooden pews to reach pass the high arches to the beautiful stained glass of the saints that watched over the ancient church.

People had been pouring into the church for the pass few minutes, crying and scared of something they couldn't put words to. Fear had penetrated their very being it seemed, he could see it in their eyes as he passed by them. The other priests and nuns had already spread out to tend to the ones who were more upset or hurt in some way the best they could.

Father Malcolm reached the end of the aisle just in time to grab a young woman from falling to the ground, taking all her weight from the shoulders of a very young girl with a startled grunt as he fell to his knees. The girl fell to her hands and knees, her long hair falling forward.

"She won't heal! Why won't she heal?" the girl cried between shuddering breaths. She was very close to hysterical. "Father please! I don't know what to do!"

Father Malcolm gasped in shock as he looked at the young woman in his arms, the horror written across his face as he closed her damaged eyelids and sent a soft prayer to God to lead her to the fields of Heaven. The poor woman, to suffer such wounds at such a young age! She had been shot at very close range in the head and the chest; her hands had cuts on the back of her knuckles and it was clear she had bled to death. He gently carried her to a spot where her body wouldn't be disturbed until the authorities arrive.

The young girl followed him and it was clear she had been close to the young woman to have carried her body this far. He turned his attention to her, his duty was to the living now. Let God and his angels guide the souls of the dead.

"I couldn't leave her. Not there! They kept coming, it was like there was no end to them, they kept coming." He put his hands on her shoulders to comfort her as she refused to look up at him. He could feel her shaking under his hands, from fear and the strength of her sorrow. She kept wiping her bloodied hands on her jeans, trying to clean them off but failing because they were covered too. "I tried to get away. I tried so hard but they wouldn't let me! They called me monster and demon, devil and evil and harlot and-!"

Father Malcolm gasped in shock as he pulled the girl into a hug, soothing her with nonsense words as he tried to grasp the girl's words, wondering why anyone would call her such names. Madness!

There were an increase of screams from outside the tall, heavy wooden doors of the entrance to the church. He shielded the girl with his body as something exploded, shaking the doors wildly on their hinges. He could feel the girl tense, gripping his robes tightly in her small hands, pulling at him to move away from the sudden silence that fell.

A whimper came from the girl, a sound that tugged at something deep inside of him, and put his hand on her head. "Don't worry child, God will protect us."

"**NO!**" She shook her head wildly and pushed away from him. "No! No, God hates me!"

"No, that's not true child."

"Yes it is. He hates me cuz those men always find me. They want me dead so it must mean God wants me dead too!" She reached inside her hoodie, having lost her jacket a long time ago, her hands finding her most prized possession. She pulled and the thin silver chain broke under the pressure, releasing the small coin necklace.

The broken necklace dangled between her fingers, the coin spinning from the violent action. The girl scooped the coin in one hand, looking down at her palm where it laid for a long time before she sniffed and pressed the coin into Father Malcolm's hand. "Take this. Give it to someone who God loves. I can't have it anymore..."

Father Malcolm shook his head, ready to deny it when she finally met his eyes. It was a wrong move, he realized with a heavy heart a moment after it was done, to step back quickly. It was a wrong move to cry out in shock when he saw her red glowing eyes. Even though he had seen many strange things through his years as a priest, some wondrous and others unspeakable, nothing could have prepared him to see her eyes.

Devil eyes on a girl such as her.

He saw her faith break before his eyes and there was nothing he could do to comfort her as he reached his hand out for her.

"I'm sorry."

Her words surprised him. She was asking for forgiveness when it was he who had done wrong. She backed away from him, heading towards the front entrance, shaking her head at the unasked plead to stay. He took a step towards her and she turned, running for the doors.

"I'm sorry."

"_Goodbye._"

* * *

Armor smashed her fist into a Purifiers nose, hearing it break before he fell back, cursing her violently before she kicked him away. He was sent flying into a car where he fell unconscious. She launched herself at another man as Nightcrawler used her psionic form as a momentary landing for his hands before continuing his flip over to scissor kick another Purifier with a gun. He grabbed the gun with his tail and pulled hard, wrenching the weapon from the man.

Above them, the Blackbird hovered with Cyclops standing in the ramp opening, firing his optic blasts to get rid of the more huddled mass of men, making sure to use just enough power to keep them out of the main fight that was taking place right below him in the ruined townhouse. Storm was flying above, using winds and rain to put out the fire before it spread as Kitty was inside the townhouse, using her phasing ability to gather the wounded X-men.

She had already taken Mindee to safety and was now grabbing Gambit, taking note to how he was keeping his body relaxed with slow breaths to keep from agitating his chest wound. With her arm around his waist and his arm thrown over her shoulder, she phased and they both started floating towards the jet.

"_Mon __dieu!_" he whispered as he took in the scene that was happening just outside in the street. It was a full blown battle, mutants against humans, a war that had never faded but had been fought quietly in the background. Now that war was out in the open for everyone to see. It didn't take a genius to know that soon the whole world's attention would fall on them and questions would be asked for; answers he didn't want to reveal. "Dis is bad."

"Yeah it is." Kitty agreed with a nod as they entered the jet, becoming solid so that Beast could start on first aid. "Gambit, I don't know what you're doing but you better have a good explanation. Cuz this will all fall on you and I know you don't like to have the spotlight unless you create it yourself. Beast, I'm heading back for Rogue." Kitty phased through the bottom of the jet.

Beast nodded absently as he cut through Gambit's makeshift wrap, tsking at how bloodied it was. With the bandage gone, he checked the wound, muttering sorry when Gambit hissed in pain when he pressed on the wound. He could feel the wood embedded in his chest, deciding that it would have to be removed later on Utopia. He told Gambit so.

"Den wrap it up good an' tight. Dawn needs me." Gambit said. Beast nodded, reaching for the bandages.

"So that's her name? Very nice." Beast commented as he started wrapping Gambit's chest anew. Gambit held his arms up with his ruined shirt to keep it out of the way as Beast worked.

"T'ought you woulda known dat. Seems everyone knows 'bout Dawnie-" Gambit bit out as Beast pulled the wrap just a bit tighter to keep the gauze he had placed over the wound in place. "Even people who shouldn't do."

"Then how do they?"

"Don' know. Ain't nobody who know her except as a human girl and dey don' care." Gambit lowered his arms as Beast finished wrapping his chest. "Don' trust em so I left an' stay quiet all dese years."

"You should have come to us." Gambit turned to see Cyclops walking towards him. Nightcrawler was at the cockpit. "You should have trusted us."

"I don' put my trust in people who let kids die." Gambit said, facing Cyclops. "An' dat's what woulda happened if I brought Dawn t' Utopia."

There was a tick in Cyclop's jaw while the rest of his face remained blank.

"Where is she?"

"You're the man wit' de plan, you tell me." Gambit glared at Cyclops.

"Stop playing games Gambit. This is a girl's life on the line." Cyclops snapped, grabbing Gambit by the ruins of his shirt. "Your daughter's life-!" He jerked back as Gambit broke Cyclops' hold on him and pushed him away.

"I know who she is! Better than any o' you!" Gambit yelled, his eyes blazing red in anger. He held his hands in fists, glowing hot pink. "Dawn is not only de most important person in my life. She's everyt'ing! If somet'ing were t' happen t' her-" Gambit swallowed hard, the fight gone out of him like the air from a balloon. "_She __would __never __forgive __me._" That last part was said as an afterthought, few had heard him but the ones who did were overcome with sadness.

"Scott, I have a location." Emma's voice broke through the tension in the jet.

"Where?" Cyclops asked, his head turned slightly though Gambit never left his sight.

"South by Southwest." Emma said, putting her hand on Cyclops' arm. "We have contact with Hellion and Pixie. They have found another group of Purifiers near a church. They are engaged in a fight of their own and can't get close. Too many are gathered with more coming."

Cyclops gave a swift nod and headed towards the cockpit and the rest of the team settled into seats. Beast led Rogue to the makeshift first aid station so he could check on her shoulder wound as the Blackbird turned towards the location. Gambit remained standing, holding his hands out in front of him, shaking them lightly to get rid of the charge that had built up. After a while, the charge faded away and he was free to use them to slip off his ruined shirt. Armor handed him a black shirt they kept inside the jet for when they needed to blend in with the crowd.

"_Merci_." Gambit said to the girl.

Armor nodded before asking him quietly. "Is it true? Is Dawn really a mutant?"

Gambit's eyebrows furrowed deeply before he nodded, the frown disappearing. "Yes. But she's much more den dat. She's—special in a way I can't understand yet."

"Like hope?"

Gambit looked at the girl, really looked at her and saw something he didn't like, something that he knew would be very hard for Dawn to understand once she was found. This look of adoration and of loyalty and hope-

"_Non_, dis is very different than hope. She's-"

A bright flash hit the sky and a shock wave hit the jet, causing it to jerk and twist in the air like a two year old would with a toy. Gambit grabbed the nearest seat and held on as did the rest of the team. Beast covered Rogue's body with his own, growling at the unknown threat as up front Nightcrawler and Cyclops fought for control of the jet, the panel beeping and flashing warnings.

They took a stomach plunging dive towards some houses before Cyclops managed to wrestle the jet back into the air, clipping a chimney on the way up. All their mouths fell open as they took in the sight before them, fear slamming into their already pounding chests.

A wide fiery spiral was shooting up into the sky, so bright it made the rest of the sky look dark as it disappeared into the clouds above, cutting a huge circle through them before the spiral died off. Dread was filling the jet as they neared the location of the spiral, imagining black ruins or a large crater where there once used to be houses, parks, buses and people.

But what they found was nothing.

Everything was fine.

No fires, no wreckage, no glass littering the ground or deep holes that resulted from explosive abilities. There were people, so many people standing or walking, some running and others sitting on the ground in a daze. They were looking in one direction, all of them no matter where they were, or what they were doing, they all turned towards the church.

At the person laying in the street in front of the church with still smoking black scorch marks spread all around her and up the nearby buildings and church.

Surrounded by soft glowing spheres, blinking slowly and flying around like orange fireflies.

And Purifiers.

Cyclops put the jet on auto pilot over the street and headed for the ramp, following after Gambit who had rushed to the ramp and pressed the button to lower it. He jumped out, crashing to his knees painfully as the shard in his chest pushed deeper. He climbed to his feet and ran towards the person as the other X-men landed on the ground.

"**Dawn! **Get away from her!" He threw charged cards at the men closest to Dawn, hitting them in the chests and backs and knocking them off their feet. The X-men rallied behind him, making short work of the Purifiers that had chosen to fight. Gambit reached Dawn's side, his hands outstretched for her when he hit a golden dome that quickly formed around her. He hissed and pulled back, his palms and fingers smoking and burning, the skin red and blistering.

"Dawn?"

He reached for her again, slowly this time, his fingers landing on the solid shield that surrounded her. It didn't hurt this time. She didn't respond when he called for her, her eyes squeezed tight. She looked very pale under the dome and her mouth was moving without any sound coming out. Every part of her body jumped as if it were shocked and Gambit felt weak and useless watching her, unable to help.

"Dawn!"

"She's a monster. A demon who calls on hellfire." The Purifiers yelled. The battle was winding down as now the remaining conscious men held a line ten feet away from the X-men. "Step aside! She needs to die!"

"She's a child." Gambit muttered quietly as Cyclops replied, "Back off! She's coming with us."

"She'll destroy us all! Look what she did!"

"I see nothing wrong here. There is nothing wrong here." Cyclops said.

A man laughed, his eyes wide and crazy as he walked towards the X-men. He pointed his gun to his head. "She killed us all! You can't see it, she killed us-!"

"**NO!**" A golden shield formed around the man as he pulled the trigger. A flash of gold appeared when the bullet hit and Gambit cursed out loud when flames flared out around Dawn for a moment as she shot up to a sitting position.

"No!" she screamed as she clutched her head with one hand as the other reached out towards the man with the gun. "Don't do that!" The man in the shield yelled, hitting the shield with his gun, shattering it into pieces like glass before Cyclops hit him with an optic blast, knocking him out.

Dawn let out a pained squeal and bent forward causing Beast and Gambit to react. Beast ran his scanner over her now that the dome that separated her from them had disappeared as well as the glowing spheres. Gambit held her by the shoulders, pushing her hair out of her face, doing his own scan of her. He sighed when she looked up at him with wide eyes, brushing a thumb over her cheeks.

"Your eyes changed again Dawnie." he commented to her. No longer were they glowing red but black and gold, the gold of her irises flaring up brightly in the black sclera. He gave her a grin that he didn't feel. "Now you look more like your Papa."

"Papa? Papa!" she timidly touched his face, not believing what she was seeing before she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tight as he did the same. She tucked her chin around his shoulder and whimpered, "I'm so scared. Don't leave me. I don't want to be alone again."

"Never." He promised, kissing her hair, pulling back so he he could look her in the eyes. "Never, I swear."

Dawn nodded, believing him as he had never lied to her before. "Bad men came. They hurt Laurie-Papa!" she pulled back. "Laurie is hurt!" Dawn pointed towards the church. "She won't heal right!"

Gambit looked to Beast and he nodded, heading towards the church with Armor by his side as extra protection. Gambit held Dawn's face in his hands. "You did good baby girl. You ran just like I told you t' do. You made it very far."

"But they found me. They always found me and people were hurt because I ran. People were scared and they cried." Dawn bit her lower lip as tears fell down her cheeks. She winced, bringing both hands to her head, closing her eyes in pain. "My head hurts and I hear whispers that keep getting louder, they're so loud I can't hear what they say."

Gambit pressed his forehead against hers. "Keep your eyes close _petite_. Listen t' me. Hear my voice, hear my breathin', hear my heartbeat. Just like I taught you remember? Put all your attention t' me."

"It's so hard." Dawn said quietly with a shake of her head.

"_Non_, it's easy." Gambit said before he held his arms up in between them, laying them across one another to form a wall. "Remember, dis is your safe place. Nothin' can hurt you here. It's yours." Dawn nodded and put her arms up just like him, forming a wall. But she didn't like it and included him in her safe place by wrapping her arms around his neck, hiding her face in the crook of his neck and joined her breathing with his. "Breathe wit' me now. In. And out. In and out. Keep goin' you're doin' great Dawn."

"Get her on the jet." Cyclops ordered Gambit and seeing how dangerous it was on the street, he didn't push any argument as he picked her up in his arms. The team followed around Gambit and Dawn while Cyclops kept watch for more attackers. A man with a black hoodie and white cross, a reversal of what the others wore walked up before stopping ten feet away.

"We know where you are taking her. That beast will die, no matter what you do, mutant. We are legion, we are many and we will put an end to you and your kind once and for all." the man said with all seriousness and belief. He didn't look like a madman which made his words all the more dangerous, sending a tingle down Cyclops' spine.

"You'll fail."Cyclops replied matter-of-factually, his chin up and his body tense like a spring, ready to go off when needed.

The man didn't answer as he backed away. Others like him joined him.

As Cyclops stood his group while the Purifiers retreated before doing the same. A few members of the team gathered around the jet, forming a line of defense against any attackers before heading up the ramp.

Cyclops found that Hellion and Pixie had arrived at some point, looking worst for wear considering that they had been on their own for some time. Pixie and Hellion were nearby Beast as he worked on Laura, the monitor that senses her life-signs beeping too slowly to be normal. He could see that she was heavily wrapped in gauze in preparation for travel. Pixie sat on the table her hand holding on to a large white gauze patch that was tainted with blood from when she was injured.

Gambit sat in the back of the jet with Dawn, taking up the back row still speaking quietly with Dawn who still held her arms around his neck in her safe place. Gambit was so intent on Dawn that he never noticed when the ramp closed and the jet lifted off the street. He never noticed when the jet flew into the air or when Emma made contact with the rest of the Cuckoo's (_We're __ready_) or when a large portal thanks to Illyana, opened up and swallowed the jet.

In the next second, they were back in San Francisco, home of the X-men and the remaining mutants and flew towards the island off the coast. Utopia stood out like a beacon, a much welcomed one in their minds and a save haven for them all.

Yes, the X-men had succeed in saving the new hope of mutantkind.

Now the real challenge began.

* * *

_AN: I decided to put my Author Notes below this time so we could all enjoy the story first._

_Firstly, **Jenna** and **phoenix0826** thanks for your review! (^0^)_

_Secondly, I had so much trouble with writing this chapter. I don't know why I had everything planned out but then I wrote it and it didn't look right. I went through three different endings before I decided on this one. Tell me what you think! (**Hint: Review**!)_

_Also, I had quite a debate with myself including Kitty Pryde. I was going to keep her in space but decided on bringing her back cuz keeping her away for that long was just too horrible._

_For those who were hoping for a longer and more detailed fight with the Purifiers, sorry no dice...yet. I felt that the beginning was kinda dragging on but don't fret! This isn't the last you will see of them._

_And more details about Dawn and who she is in the next chapter!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7: The Burnout Infernal**

* * *

_**Below Surface Levels, Medical Wing**_

The large room was a mass of rushing about as the resident doctors took care of the wounded. Mindee was sitting on a bed, surrounded by her sisters who questioned her about her first trip out without them. It was something they were trying out, to be more independent from each other. Dr. Madison had one of his machines with him, scanning her body to see if she suffered anything else.

Pixie was in operation being taken care of by Dr. Nemesis, who was removing the bullet fragments from her arm. Hellion was nearby watching as the good doctor worked his magic.

Rogue was under sedation being worked on by Dr. Rao. Her shoulder wound was deep and needed to be taken care of before she could allow Josh Foley, the golden mutant healer, to heal the wound shut.

Josh's efforts were being concentrated on Laura along with Beast as they tried to stop the bleeding. She was hanging on by a thread, her life-signs faint. Elixir was doing his best to heal her but all his efforts were slow at best. It seemed that the bullets fired on Laura contained all kinds of toxins and an unknown element which were overworking Laura's healing abilities. Elixir healed her physical wounds enough so she wouldn't bled to death. She would need a blood transfusion but Wolverine hadn't returned from his team mission yet.

The only ones who weren't being attended to was Gambit and Dawn.

It wasn't as of they hadn't been offered medical attention when they first arrived but Dawn had thrown up her golden shield preventing anyone from getting too close to her and Gambit. Dawn hid her head in Gambit's neck the whole time he talked her in letting down her field so they could get out of the jet and to medical when the others left with those that needed to medical attention.

They now sat apart from the rest of the room, a sheet separating them from the others. Gambit would have liked to have their own room to calm Dawn but all the rooms were going to be needed when the operations were over. Dawn was leaning against his uninjured side, sitting quietly though one of her fingers was ticking against her leg. Gambit kept note of it as he looked over Dawn.

Her eyelids kept dropping and when he thought she would sleep she would jerk with a gasp and open her eyes wide. He rubbed her shoulders to calm her down but he could see that it had little effect.

She sucked in a hiss, squeezing her eyes in pain.

"Headaches?" he asked. Dawn nodded. "My stomach hurts. I felt like I'm going to throw up." She curled closer to him.

"Why don' you sleep? It'll make you feel better."

Dawn shook her head before sitting up straight, pulling on Gambit and making him wince. Before he could ask what was wrong, the curtain opened and Emma Frost and Cyclops entered. The sheet fell back in place as Gambit sat up straighter.

"Gambit we need to talk." Cyclops said. "And you need medical attention. The both of you need to be looked at by the doctors."

"Well de talk will have t' wait til Dawn gets looked at." Gambit said."She comes first before everyt'ing yeah?"

"Of course." Cyclops said with a nod. "She comes first."

"Dawn let's get you checked out okay?" Emma Frost held her hand out to Dawn. Dawn shook her head. "Come dear, it will be all right."

Dawn shook her head again. "No. Papa needs to be looked at first. He's hurt."

"He will get looked at. But you need to be looked at by the doctors as well." Emma Frost tried again, smiling now. "Come with me and-"

"No!" Dawn said, her eyes flashing. Emma Frost stepped back. "Papa gets look at first. He's bleeding and it hurts when he breathes. It's like a red hot knife stabbing him in the chest every time he takes a breath." Dawn put her hands against her own chest, over the same spot Gambit's wound is.

"How do you know _cherie_?" Gambit asked. Dawn frowned thoughtfully and turned back to him.

"I—I can feel you." She paused and looked back at Emma Frost. "Just like I can feel how scared she is of me. And you," she pointed to Cyclops. "I can feel how unsettled you are about everything I just said and you're thinking back at the fire in New Orleans and how it was just like seeing-?"

Dawn slapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. On the other side of the large room, the rapid beeping of the machines set off alarms as Beast yelled, "She's crashing! Get the cart over here now!"

Dawn grabbed Gambit's hand in her own in a blind panic as she fell to her knees, struggling to breathe. Gambit joined her on the floor, calling for her name as Beast called "Clear!" and pressed the paddles to Laura's chest. Dawn cried out and her body jerked in violent spasms before falling limp.

"What's happening to her!" Cyclops yelled as Gambit pulled Dawn in his arms, her nails digging into his arms with tears in her eyes. Cyclops looked to Emma for answers and Emma complied immediately, using her telepathy to search for the reason for Dawn's distress. They couldn't lose Dawn!

The dive into Dawn's mind was hectic at best, so many things flashing pass Emma that couldn't hope to identify all the things she saw. The strain could be felt the longer she searched but then she felt a jerk in a direction and was pulled along. Darkness and light merged to create red followed by green...green eyes that she linked to one of the most important person in Dawn's life.

Laura.

"Oh god, she's mind linked with Laura!" Emma Frost said in shock, her fingers pressed to her temples as she pulled out of Dawn's mind. "I have to break it before she is sucked in any further."

"Do it now!" Cyclops ordered, watching helplessly as Dawn jerked again in spasms as Beast pressed the paddles to Laura's chest. She was unresponsive and Beast started on CPR as Elixir used his powers to keep her brain alive though her body was shutting down.

Dawn was panicking, her eyes searching for the cause of her troubles but finding none. She was struggling to get air in her lungs, sweat falling from her face as she clung to Gambit who was trying to soothe her as best he could. Emma grabbed Dawn's face in her hands, forcing Dawn to look at her.

"Focus on me. Listen to me!" Emma demanded when Dawn tried to pull away. "You need to focus on me. I need to get in your mind."

_Listen to me. Let me in._

Emma dove into Dawn's mind only to slam into a wall. She let out a cry as did Dawn. Emma felt blood leak from her nose. Dawn struggled in Emma's hands, so much that Gambit had to hold her hands down to keep her still though it killed him to keep her down. He felt his chest wound reopening from all the movement and gritted his teeth to keep the pain down.

_'Dawn it will be okay. Let me in.'_ Emma tried again, probing a bit harder when the wall wouldn't come down. She could sense another wave coming and protected herself. It crashed into her astral form, almost throwing her out of Dawn's mind but she held strong and the wave was gone.

_'Dawn.'_

_'Dawn.'_

**((dawnie))**

_'Who are you?'_ Emma called out, trying to discover the source of this new voice. It couldn't be Dawn, it felt different, like someone else was in Dawn's mind but it couldn't be possible. There were very few telepaths left and she could identify their mental signatures.

**((dawnie. let her in)) **The walls wavered and a crack appeared, allowing Emma to slip through to reach Dawn's mind.

* * *

"She's not responding. Quick, we have to turn the power on higher." Beast ordered Elixir as he nodded and turned up the power on the machine. "Clear!"

"Beast wait!" Cyclops threw open the curtains and marched over to Beast where he had the paddles in his hands, ready to press them against Laura. "You can't do that!"

"What? She's dying Cyclops!" Beast protested.

"And if you put those on Laura, then you're killing Dawn." Cyclops said.

"What?"

"Dawn is telepathically linked to Laura. She's feeling everything that is happening to her. If you put those on Laura, she'll feel it and not just mentally but physically as well." Cyclops explained as best he could.

"She is dying Scott." Beast pointed out as Elixir kept working on Laura. His hands were compressing on Laura's chest.

"And you're killing Dawn." Cyclops shook his head. "We just need time. Emma is working on breaking the mind link Dawn has with Laura."

"Easy _petite._ Easy. Come back." Gambit spoke to Dawn, soothing her hair back from her face.

"Papa." Dawn wheezed, sucking in air but feeling like she wasn't getting enough. Tears were falling down her cheeks, as she struggled in his arms. "I can't breathe. I can't-I can't-I can feel them. I can feel everyone." She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Oh god. It hurts."

* * *

_'Who are you?' _Emma tried to ask the voice again. A flash blinded her momentarily and she closed her eyes with a wince. When she opened them again, she felt a warmth in front of her, like a burning fire that was burning brightly.

**((dawnie. let go. you have to let go.)) **Emma got a better sense of the voice then. It sounded like a boy, no older than twelve, of someone who was confident and sure.

_i'm so scared. _Dawn's voice was echoing in the mind scape, so scared and unsure of herself. Being overwhelmed. Drowning.

Emma raced to Dawn, wanting to help her but someone (something) overwhelmed her, almost smothering her very sense of self. She struggled to free herself when she froze as the presence spoke.

**Do not be afraid. I am here.**

_thank you._ Dawn relief could be felt all over and Emma cried out in warning as the presence overtook everything on the mind scape and drowned out everything.

* * *

"I won't let Laura die. I cannot!" Beast growled, his feral yellow eyes flashing. He had taken an oath as a doctor and not doing everything he could to save a life was breaking that oath. "Clear!"

"Hank no!" Cyclops yelled, reached for Beast's hands as he pressed the paddles to Laura's chest. She jerked in the bed, sparks flashing from the machine as it was overloaded. "NO!"

Dawn screamed as fire exploded out of her, a fiery raptor screaming in freedom with its wings wide and practically overwhelming the room before it dove into Laura's body, surrounding her in flames. Everyone backed away from the scene before the flames died out, leaving Laura unscathed on a blacken bed. A moment passed before she opened her eyes and breathed in her first breathe.

She sat up and looked around the room.

"Where am I?" she asked.

Cyclops stepped back as Beast and Elixir rushed to check on Laura who seemed to appear perfectly fine and healed.

"Dawn!" He felt a cold jolt hit him when he heard Gambit's voice and rushed back to Dawn and Emma. He grabbed the pole nearest him to keep from falling to his knees as he took in the scene before him."Dawn wake up! Dawn!"

Gambit was holding a limp Dawn in his arms, pleading for her to wake up. She was unconscious and oh so pale, like she hadn't seen the sun in ages and unresponsive to Gambit's cries as he held her in his arms, shaking her form. He looked up at Cyclops, tears falling from his eyes, a man who was desperate and on the verge of losing everything. "She's not responding." he said. "She's not-" He shook his head.

Emma laid sprawled on the ground like a tossed doll. She looked like she was sleeping and he prayed that she was only unconscious as he felt the weight of what happened crash on his shoulders. He could still feel Emma through the psi bond they had but it offered little comfort.

"Scott." He felt a hand on his shoulders. "Let me take it from here."

He nodded weakly as his mentor walked pass him to kneel before Gambit, putting a calming hand on his shoulder. Gambit was holding Dawn close to his chest, his hand digging into her hair and rocking on his knees. He had wiped his tears away but you could still see the signs written across his face.

"Do not be afraid Gambit." he said, easing Dawn more comfortable in his arms. "Come, let's get her to a bed. After all," He let out a deep sigh. "It has been a very long day."

"Is she-?" Gambit couldn't finish his sentence.

Xavier closed his eyes briefly before nodding. "She will be fine. She is just tired I believe."

Gambit shook his head in disbelief. Xavier smiled gently. "Please Remy, humor this old man. Come, let's go put Dawn down and I will explain everything I believe is happening."

Gambit nodded numbly as he followed after the man he always put his trust in.

* * *

An hour later, the top members of the X-men gathered in Gambit's room, freshly patched up from his injury. Elixir offered to heal him but Gambit wanted to wait until after the meeting. Dawn slept in the bed next to him, always in his line of sight with Laura standing guard between Dawn and the rest of the room. Xavier stood patiently as Cyclops stood with Emma who was rubbing her head, wincing everything once in the while. Cyclops offered to give her a recap but she demanded to be at the meeting, despite the raging migraine she had.

"Professor, can you tell us what the hell just happened?" Cyclops asked. The room looked surprised at their leader. He usually was so calm and in control. But after the backlash of psychic energy hours before, the New Orleans fire, Purifiers attacking and Dawn's mysterious powers was chipping away at his wall of stoic control. He was the leader of the remaining mutants, he had to do everything in his power to keep the threats away, even those close to home.

"She's come into her powers." Professor said, getting straight to the point.

"She did that in New Orleans." Emma pointed out.

"Ah. I believe that was something else. And no, I have nothing solid to share about what happened there. I will let everyone know when I do. For now, it would be unwise to share." Xavier explained before adding. "It will do more harm than good to reveal what I know what at this point."

Cyclops didn't pleased with that reply. Neither did Emma.

"You're on thin ice Professor." Gambit spoke up from the bed. "I don' like dat."

"I understand your concerns Remy." Xavier said to Gambit who glared at the room as if they had done something to him. "She is your daughter and as a father, you would do everything you can to prevent harm from befalling her. I am afraid though, this is beyond your control."

"Whattya mean?"

"Dawn's power is overwhelming her." Xavier turned to the rest of the room, his eyes looking to each member. "She is powerful and so young to have come into those powers at such a crucial point in her life. At that point in her life." He shook his head sadly.

"I do not understand Professor." Storm spoke up, her velvet voice carrying a sense of calm. "Why do you speak like this?"

"I've spoken with Mindee," he nodded to the blonde girl surrounded by her sisters. "And she shared with me what she gathered while in New Orleans. A girl was shot right in front of Dawn. A girl who is by all accounts, Dawn's only friend. I believe that the trauma of witnessing that incident had awaken her telepathy and her empathy."

"She was feeling her friend's death at a very personal level."

Storm covered her mouth in shock as did Kitty Pryde. To feel someone you love dying was hard but to feel it as if it were happening to you, to feel that fear and pain and sadness...

"But that girl is alive." Cyclops pointed out. "There is no reports of a girl dying, only three burnt remains of men that have yet to be identified. Which has proven to be impossible due to the damage done to them. The source of the fire was at the school, it had spread along the path that Dawn took. She healed Laura from death!"

"I do not believe the fire was Dawn's fault." Xavier stated calmly. "I believe it was someone else. Whoever it is, we can't concern ourselves with. As for Laura, I believe that Dawn helped push Laura pass the limits of her healing ability. It can be done. But right now, I need to prepare you for when Dawn awakes from the telepathic induced sleep I've put on her."

"Hey. Dat's not right!" Gambit said upset. Laura's claws popped out and her eyes narrowed, putting everyone on alert.

"It was the only way. I'm sorry Remy, but there wasn't much I can do for her right now keep her stable. You have to understand, I can't stop her." Xavier held his hands up as Laura took a step towards him

"Stop her. You act like she is doing something she shouldn't." Laura said, her voice low but loud enough for everyone to hear her. "Dawn is a good girl. She is my family, she would never do something wrong."

"Stand down X." Cyclops ordered and her eyes flashed angrily towards him.

"I am not an X-man. You cannot give me orders." Laura said coldly.

"Please, please." Xavier spoke up. "Let me finish."

"Laurie?" Remy asked and Laura frowned slightly before she popped her claws back in and returned to Dawn's side.

"Dawn is reaching out telepathically. Its not much and not interfering with anyone right now but that can change once she wakes up. Even now, I can feel her mind reaching out, connecting with everyone on the island. It's an incredible gift she has but one that is equally dangerous, to herself and to others." Xavier explained. Emma looked startled and turned to diamond form which surprised the room. Xavier glanced over at her. "Emma..."

"She can't get inside. I refuse." Emma stated. She stormed out of the room. She wouldn't let Dawn into her mind...not **her**.

Xavier nodded in sympathy but didn't say anything else. He looked to Remy who looked forlorn and unsure. He looked like he wanted to grab Dawn and run...run as long and far as possible. But he had been running all this time. Perhaps it was time to stop and face what was coming.

"Would a putting her under a psi damper do any harm?" Cyclops asked. "If she going into everyone's mind, that would be the best choice."

"It would only prolong the event." Xavier said shaking his head before he said thoughtfully. "It would be wise to keep this from spreading through the rest of the teams. She's invading people's most private moments without even realizing it. There is no sure way of knowing what she knows until she wakes up. The best we can do is give her time to rest and heal and wait. That is all we can do for now."

"Remy, if its not to forward of me I would like to have you as a guest in my quarters after you healed." Xavier said to the worried father. "We have very nice quarters for guests of course, but I would like to speak with you about Dawn and yourself. After all, its been quite a few years since we've talked. I would like to know about your life since then. Perhaps some exploits and the adventures you've shared together."

"Sure t'ing Professor, as long as its not too far from Dawn yeah?" Gambit agreed to the Professor's request. "I don' want her to be alone. An' I gotta contact Mattie. She's no doubt worried sick bout us."

"We can have someone here watching her-" Cyclops offered.

"Non. No offense _mon ami_, but Dawn don' like strangers." Gambit said, stopping the man from speaking further. "Laurie can watch her til I get back."

"No one will come close, I swear." Laura promised.

"All right then. Meeting adjoined." The X-men started to exit the room, leaving with some answers but more questions. There were still so many more questions but they had to accept what was given to them for now. After all, Dawn was safe. The first mutant since the mutant birth five years ago was here with them and that was all the thanks they could ask for. Later, they could get to the bottom of the mystery that was Dawn LeBeau.


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: These Burning Fragments**

* * *

One week had passed without any change in Dawn's condition. She slept and didn't respond to any outside simulation. Dr. Rao took over as Dawn's main caregiver since she was well verse in mutant biology and regular healthcare. She was also chosen by Gambit as he saw her as a neutral party who didn't have any connection to him while he was an X-man and the enemy and therefore would put his importance as a father than a mutant first in Dawn's case.

Then another week went by.

The news was still talking about the fire in New Orleans that had exploded out of nowhere and then disappeared just as sudden. The rebuilt French Quarter, would have to be rebuilt, as many houses went up in flames, the fire flying from building to building like a living creature witnesses said. The site of the huge bright spire of energy showed no damages even though people who were there swore up and down that something happened. The authorities official line was there was nothing wrong in that area but they had top men looking into to it. S.H.I.E.L.D. and Mr. Fantastic had yet to report their findings from samples taken from the area.

Cyclops had called on the major teams that needed to know as footage of the X-men started showing up from the Human Coalition and Friends of Humanity with slogans of **"Mutant Terrorists!" **and **"They Started the Fire!" **to fuel the confusion and search for truth in the aftermath of the fire. He didn't reveal much other than a new mutant was found and that they have her on the island. The Avengers were happy about the news, feeling the dark shroud that surrounded the team lightening just a bit. The Fantastic Four were ecstatic and Mr. Fantastic wanted to visit to get a sample while Franklin just wanted to visit as a friend. S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted to know if she was dangerous.

Cyclops didn't have an answer for them and it didn't make them happy.

Three weeks was on the end of closing when Gambit voiced his fear to the Professor about how long Dawn had been sleeping and why. Laurie was in the cafeteria getting her own meal and a break. She put up a fight with the Professor before Gambit pushed her out the door and told her to not return for an hour. After all, she would need some stories to tell Dawn for when she woke up from her coma.

Although nothing was found to be physically wrong and nothing abnormal in her brain scans other than it seemed her brain was working on different levels than a regular brain, it wasn't the cause for concern. Dawn just slept. Sometimes she seemed like she was on the verge of waking up but he felt a knife stab him in the heart when she would sigh and fall still. Other times, if he didn't have the machine that recorded her heart beat or the brain scan machine telling him that she was alive, he would have thought she was dead, she was that still.

Gambit found the Professor a welcome presence in a place that felt like invading his and Dawn's life down to the last second. Every time he stepped out of Dawn's room or the Professor's, he was being called for, to explain how Dawn came to be under his care, why did he keep her secret for so long, did he know that she would become a mutant...

* * *

**Three Weeks ago...**

* * *

"Who is she?" Cyclops asked. Emma was at his side, still in diamond form as she hasn't reverted to her human form since the Professor's announcement of Dawn's telepathic probing that as far as they who knew, was still going on.

The senior X-men Cyclops trusted where there with him, Wolverine who had recently returned from New Orleans on a fact finding mission; Rogue who had absorbed memories from Jessia, Dawn's best friend; Magneto a man who wouldn't be denied anything about the new mutant; Cypher who was in charge of gathering what information he could from all sources; Storm who was there as a member of the X-men and as Remy's ally and Namor, the underwater king who had no interest in Dawn other than what level of use or danger she was to his people. Professor Xavier was offered a chance to sit in but Gambit had him sit down by Dawn with Laurie in the levels below.

Gambit grinned at the man, "_Mon ami_, I'm shocked dat you would ask such a obvious question. Dawn is my daughter. Can't you tell-we got de same eyes?"

Dawn's eyes had reverted back to the red on black eyes she had at the the school.

"I mean, where is her mother? Where did you find her?" Cyclops tried again. "Her birthday and where she was born."

"What? You don' trust me t' tell you de truth. I have nothin' t' hide." Gambit said, stretching his arms across the back of the padded bench he sat on. It was a lie, he had everything to hide.

Wolverine humphed, "That ain't what the facts tell us."

"Affirmative. Intel you gave us, has been proven false. They don't match. Irregular." Cypher agreed from his spot near the computers. "Even her birthday doesn't match in the data."

"So?"

"Everything matches. Everything fits. Dawn does not fit in the information."

Gambit flipped a card in his hands, his eyes dark as he twirled in in his fingers, a hum of energy running through it. "Dawn fits. She belongs where she belongs. Understand?" He fixed his eyes on Cypher. "I don' wanna hear you say otherwise."

Cypher nodded, his body giving a slight twitch.

"Where is Dawn's mother?" Storm asked gently, moving the conversation forward and to get Gambit's glare away from Cypher.

Gambit played with the card in his fingers before answering in a subdued tone."Dead. Killed in a fire before I could reach her. Dawn doesn't like t' talk bout it, so I never really questioned her. De lady was Dawn's whole world and vice versa. From what I learned, Claire was a good momma. She didn't deserve what happened t' her." Gambit frowned as he thought back to the woman who was Dawn's mother.

He had done the best he could for her when things had quieted down with him and Dawn. He had taken care of all the expenses and had taken her final wishes to heart, taking her ashes and spread them out in the mountains and sea she loved while giving Dawn the necklace of the saint that was given to her by her mother. The necklace that was missing now. The house was still there, rebuilt and ready for Dawn if she ever decided to go back to the town she lived in but it was unlikely. Barely anyone lived in Cooperstown anymore since the incident five years ago.

He flicked the card with the tip of his finger before slipping the card back with the others in his pocket and leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs. "Next question."

"How did you find out about Dawn? You don't seem like the type to keep up to date with your past *_ahem_* lovers?" This question came from Magneto of course.

"Claire contacted me. Of course she was married den, a whirlwind courtship with a wedding party of two and she just wanted me t' know. De man she married was a decent guy, I thought dey would have been perfect raising her." Gambit replied with a shrug as he looked on his hands thoughtfully. "Let's face it, I'm not de ideal father material, especially back den. Too many shadows haunting me, too much sin on my soul, and not lookin' t' settle down or curb my wild ways." He waved off the last comment with a hand.

"So what changed?" This question came from Rogue, standing besides Storm and Magneto. Her injury was heal and though ordered to rest, she came to the meeting. She didn't want to admit it but she was stung by how he was acting towards the team and her. They haven't spoke once since New Orleans.

"De moment I saw her. When she put her arms around me and cried because she thought she was alone in de world." Gambit said instantly. He knew the exact moment his life changed. Nothing had ever affected him like that...not since he fell in love for the second time. But unlike that time, he didn't have any regrets with any choices he made. He would make them all over again, especially keeping Dawn away from this place.

Cyclops opened his mouth to ask another question when there was a _**"THOOM!"**_ and the room shook slightly as alarms went off. Gambit was on his feet and out of the room before Cypher announced a fire in Medical, in the private rooms. Room 316...where Dawn was being kept.

When they got to Medical, they found Laurie with burns over her entire backside and Professor Xavier on the ground being attended to by Prodigy, coughing and holding on to his right arm. Gambit, they learned had ran inside the room, to get Dawn.

With Storm's help calling up some wet wind and rain, they entered the room to see Gambit holding on to Dawn as she cried, rocking her as several glowing spheres flew around her, humming with energy. Everywhere they went, they left a black scorch mark or burned holes, disappearing when they did only to be replaced by another.

"Bad men. Bad men. Bad men!" Dawn repeated over and over again as she clutched Gambit's coat. She was in his lap as if she were trying to crawl inside him, her legs pulled close with her back towards the wall and her eyes looking around for signs of danger.

"Shhhh...it's fine now Dawn. You're safe here." Gambit said softly, stroking her hair. He pressed his lips to her head. "It's safe."

"Bad men!" Dawn said vehemently with a vicious shake of her head. It sounded like she was trying to yell it but the lack of use made it sound whisper soft. "Coming. Coming. Coming"

Gambit cupped her face between his hands and turned her face to him. "I've never lied t' you _cherie_. I promise you, no bad men will get you here." He wiped the tears that slipped out of her eyes with his thumbs. Dawn closed her eyes and let out a sigh and when she opened her eyes again, they were yellow and black.

"They hate me because they're scared of what I am. You're not scared of me are you?" Dawn's question threw him for a bit, her tone and the way she asked it so different from what he knew but he answered perfectly. "No. I'm not afraid of you."

Dawn stared in his eyes for a long while before deciding she liked what she saw in them. She closed her eyes and slumped in his arms, out like she never woke up. The Professor would later explain it as a form of talking in your sleep. Her brain never ventured out of the normal sleep state and her actions in the room with the blind attack that left a long burnt slash near the entrance was a form of waking nightmare.

And so that week ended with Dawn being moved to a new room and Gambit deciding that he would need more allies on his side as Cyclops grilled Laurie and the Professor about what happened in the room. A day later he disappeared through a terrasect, which raised all sorts of alarms before he reappeared two hours later with Tante Mattie and Birdie Dog in tow.

* * *

**Two weeks ago...**

* * *

The second week of Dawn's self induced coma went by rather eventfully. Tante Mattie didn't keep quiet about their treatment of Gambit and Dawn's present condition or her living conditions. She set about making Dawn's new room into a home of sorts. Interconnecting pictures Dawn had drew over the years and hung around her room were put up on the white walls and a TV with a DVD player was brought in and quickly filled with seasons of Dawn's favorite show Supernatural, starting from season one. It played constantly on low volume until night where Dawn's favorite music was put on.

Blankets from Dawn's bed replaced the covers, her gray and red Gloomy Bear puppet placed within reaching distance above her left shoulder, pieces of home brought to her in hopes that these personal objects would stir her from her sleep. Birdie Dog, ever the loyal pet, would sleep at the foot of the bed, waiting patiently for her owner to wake while offering licks of encouragements to her other masters.

Tante Mattie sat with Dawn when she felt that Gambit or Laurie had spent too much time in the room, _"Bringin' bad juju with all your wayward thinkin'." _and chase them out. They needed to reconnect with the people Dawn would need to know when she woke up.

Laurie was surprisingly easy to convince. When she left the X-men, it was on slightly better terms than Gambit and she found that most, if not all, of the younger X-men had missed her while she was gone. They pulled her in with open arms and asked about her life outside of Utopia.

Where did she go? Where did she live? How was the food?

Did she really fight against a Super Skrull and win?

What was it like being an Avenger?

Why did she answer to the name Laurie and Laura?

"Because of Dawn." she replied to Pixie's question. The girls were holding a sleep over of sorts and had so far grilled her about her love life and all the hunks she had been spotted hanging out with while with the Avengers and the recently revealed years she spent traveling with Gambit, the hottest of the X-men and Dawn. "The first year I spent with them, she was quiet. If she spoke, it was important. Every word was carefully thought out. She listened, she heard things children shouldn't hear but she did and she took what she heard and came up with her own opinion. She learned about my-childhood."

"She said that names are what other people give you. That names are words. But words have power and so do names because those names are something people give you as a gift that you take to heart and if you have a heart then you have a soul. Laura, she said, was a name given to me by a woman who though she had loved me, still allowed terrible things happen to me. Laura was a name used by men with no souls to taint the purity of who I was by taking away my humanity. Laura was a name used by monsters who enjoyed beating down a child like it was nothing."

_"So I'll take away that power they have over you and make you someone who can smile and laugh and feel free and be whoever she wants to be because she can." Dawn stepped up on the table she had been drawing on when she had first spoken. Gambit stood nearby watching this important moment. She cupped her hands around Laura's cheeks and pulled her close, pressing a kiss to both of her cheeks before kissing her temple. "Laurie. Laura went through the worst and still came out strong, brave and good. I see no reason to send her away when she can be my sister still."_

"And so, I became Laurie. I didn't think anything of it at first but every time she called me Laurie, I felt-happy. She always said my name with a smile and when she smiled, I smiled. We became sisters and with them I have a family."

"So it matters what name we call you?"

"No one has called me Laura in two years." Laurie replied, standing up when she spotted Gambit entering the room. He looked weary as he dragged a hand over his face and through his hair. "Excuse me."

They watched as she went up to him and to their shock, put her arms around him in a hug. Gambit put his arms around her as well, giving her a squeeze and let his shoulders drop. They remained like that for a minute before Gambit sighed and pulled away. He put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a weary smile. Laurie asked him a question in which Gambit shook his head.

Laurie frowned, crossing her arms. Gambit put both his hands on her shoulders, turned her around and pushed her towards the girls. Laurie turned to protest but he was already gone out the door with a cheery "Have fun!" before Laurie reluctantly rejoined the girls. She hadn't seen him look that weary since she finally ended the Weapon X program with his help.

She was quickly reconnecting with the friends she had left behind and was even invited to train with them in the Danger Room as the days went by. Gambit had made a few connections of his own but everyone still seem to hold back with him. He didn't seem to care as he spent more and more of his time with Dawn as the days went by.

* * *

_**One week ago...**_

* * *

Storm was walking to Medical to visit with Gambit and Tante Mattie in Dawn's room. She wanted to let them know that the apartment they requested two weeks ago had been approved and that within two day's time, they would be able to move in. She knew it wasn't easy to get this request for an apartment that sat separate from the rest of the living quarters.

Remy had been very specific and very adamant that he, Dawn, Tante Mattie and Laurie were to have their own place away from the main base if possible. A wall would be built between them as added security and no one, absolutely no one was to have access to their home or the grounds without express permission. There will be no surprise security in the apartment, no secrets built into it that he didn't know of, and he had the final say in any adaptations or refurnishings of the apartment.

Of course it caused an uproar among the teams. Dawn didn't need to be separated, she needed to be embraced by the mutant community and that meant she needed to live among them. She needed to be protected from danger and the most secure location was at the heart of the base where the island met with the Alantean's kingdom underwater. She couldn't be trusted with the traitor who ran out on his own kind and kept this secret from the rest of the team. Who was to say that she was his real daughter anyways? They wanted a DNA test to prove their blood relation.

Oh, Storm was certain that Remy would have grabbed Dawn and disappear that night when that accusation made the rounds but with great relief a few others had stood up for him. They didn't have the legal or moral right to have a say in Dawn's life. Remy had been raising her all this time and nothing has appeared that said he was an unfit parent. Dawn, it was learned from Cypher's search, had high marks in school, she knew how to ride horses and had several awards from competitions and she was a member of several clubs aimed at kids from working with wildlife at the zoo and aquarium and fostering baby animals to working with the homeless and elderly and dreaming of becoming a great doctor who worked in space while teaching people how to speak English. She was a normal happy girl who had the best things in life and who seemed to love her father very much.

Storm felt a smile grace her lips as she thought of her niece she had yet to meet. A pang hit her heart as she stopped in front the door to Dawn's room. Behind that door, a girl who has such high dreams for her future laid unconscious with no signs of waking up anytime soon. Her family was in turmoil, waiting on pins and needles for her as the rest of the world came up with their own opinions about the newly discovered mutant that was kept hidden.

Until Dawn woke up-

Storm knocked on the door and heard a reply through the door. She twisted the door handle and pushed open the door, a smile on her lips once again. "Remy, I brought great news-"

"Stormy get down!" she heard before she was tackled to the ground and a fiery slash went over her head, slamming the door shut. She brought in a lungful of air as she blinked up at Remy, who wasn't looking to see if she was fine but at Dawn-who was curled up in a ball, floating above her bed. On fire.

She wasn't burning or screaming in pain.

The fire seemed to be coming from her, surrounding her in a cocoon of reds, yellow and orange, flaring about wildly as glowing spheres spun around her person. Tante Mattie was standing close to the bed, her hands held out with the palms facing Dawn, muttering in a language she recognized as Creole. Professor Xavier stood opposite of her, his hands to his temple and his eyes closed in concentration. She knew that face as him using his telepathic ability.

"Sorry Stormy." Remy said, giving her quick wink when she looked up at him. "But-" She didn't have a chance to react before he pinched a nerve at the back of her neck that knocked her out. He put her head down gently before turning back to the scene behind him.

"Dawn?" Remy stood up and approached the bed. "Dawnie is that you? Can you hear me?"

**((Not Dawn)) **A voice replied, echoing across their minds like someone yelling from the other end of a long pipe, loud and somewhat muffled.

"Den you are-?"

**((Can't find)) **The voice interrupted. Remy felt a jolt of fear at that answer. Although Dawn could be seen floating above the bed in flames, this voice was saying that she wasn't there. Did something happen to her that they didn't know about?

**((Where)) ((Don't know))**

** ((Is safe here))**

"It is safe here. You're on Utopia, an island off the coast of San Francisco." Professor Xavier replied, done with whatever he was doing while Remy was talking to the voice. "It's a haven for mutants. For Dawn."

**((Not safe)) **

**((Not safe anywhere))**

The fire around Dawn burned hotter and wind picked up from the heat it created, forcing everyone to step back and cover their faces with their arms as the voice became quieter.

**((I will protect Dawn))**

And then the fire was gone. A slight thump came from the bed and they opened their eyes to see Dawn sprawled across the covers, having landed like that when she fell the short distance. Tante Mattie gathered Dawn in her arms as Remy quickly joined her side, a worried look on his face.

"De child be fine Remy. Our girl is fine." Tante Mattie said, stroking Dawn's cheeks. "Her body is warm and soft. I can feel her heart beat in a strong rhythm. Dat is good news."

Remy sat on the bed, feeling the heat coming off the covers and wondered just how they were going to explain what happened when Storm woke up. He looked back at his sister and felt a wave of frustration hit him. He took a deep breathe to calm himself before standing up and walked over to pick her up. He carried her to the armchair, Mattie's chair, and gently set her down, making sure that she was comfortable.

"Professor what did you find?" he asked the telepath. Tante Mattie started fussing over Dawn, moving her to a more comfortable place on the bed.

"One word, repeating over and over." Professor Xavier said, a thoughtful determined look on his face. _"Shuuhei." _Tante Mattie paused, only a moment, but enough that Professor Xavier noticed and told himself to remember to question her about it later.

"De same word Dawn said once before when she was in New Orleans?" Remy asked over his shoulder. "Right before de fire spread in de Quarters." _Before she burned the Purifiers in front of her._ Cypher had hacked the video feeds long before the media got organized and had grabbed all the videos that had Dawn in them, including the one that showed the Purifiers attacking Laurie and Dawn. Even though there was no audio on the video, Remy knew how to read Dawn like a book, especially her lips.

"The same I'm afraid." Professor Xavier nodded. "Also, I wasn't the only one to hear it."

"What do you mean?" Gambit turned to him.

"The Cuckoo's heard it as well. Though I'm not proud of my actions, I managed to erase their memories for this short while. Whatever they heard in the last five minutes, they won't remember at all."

"Did the White Queen hear?" If she experienced anything out of the ordinary, anything related to Dawn then she would rush to tell Cyclops. Cyclops would jump into action and take Dawn to a more secure location or-

"No. She's still in her diamond form. She didn't hear anything." Professor Xavier said. He crossed his arms. "She is still afraid. She won't return to her usual form for awhile."

"She's afraid of Dawn, isn't she?"

"I believe so."

"Why?"

Xavier shook his head. "That is something only she can tell us and she won't speak of it. Not to us." He watched Tante Mattie finish smoothing the covers over Dawn and place her bear on the bed, above Dawn's left shoulder. Dawn's power had started to become more active, requiring Remy to remain at her side to help ease her down from her episodes.

It started three days ago and seem to be happening more often which worried him. So far he had counted three different voices, this '_Shuuhei'_ seemed to be the most dominate out of all of them and it only spoke of protecting Dawn.

He wondered, _'From what?' _and received no reply.

A moan came from Storm and he gave Remy a questioning look, _Should we tell Storm what has been happening._

Remy give a nod. _Yes. I trust her and she needs to know._

Xavier let Remy take the lead as he give Storm his most charming and sorry-I-knocked-you-out smile, "Ororo? Are you okay? I didn't hurt you too bad did I?"

Upstairs in the command room, on shift, Cypher was pushing the search engine of the computers as hard as he could searching up the word, "Shuuhei." No reason he could think of, he just wanted, no **needed** to find everything about Shuuhei.

* * *

_**Now...**_

* * *

Gambit walked the island, letting the cold breeze from the ocean wash over him as he looked out at San Francisco across the bay. Several of the younger mutants had gone over to relax and hang out after a long week of drills and studying. Laurie was out there with some of her friends and he was glad that she was becoming one of them again, though he hope she would stay away from Wolverine and his team.

Yeah, he was glad that Wolverine had stepped up and had adopted her as his daughter all those years ago, before she had left the X-men to find herself and ended up becoming a part of his family with Dawn, he just felt that it wasn't the right fit. After all, her _'Dad'_ had let her become part of X-force and go out on dangerous missions with the mindset of _'whatever the costs' _even if it meant killing.

Granted, the times they traveled together it wasn't all cake and roses either but at least he let her know straight up that killing wasn't the first, second, third or final option. She had to know that she had to live with the choices she made, she had to know if she could carry the weight. If she could look Dawn in the eyes when everything was said and done.

He let out a laugh. Maybe he was feeling jealous. Maybe he didn't like the idea of sharing Laurie with anyone else...even if it was her own dad. After all, she had been part of his family for so long...

Alarms sounded across the island, startling him out of his deep thoughtfulness. He looked towards the command center to see that the light was flashing yellow. Which meant casualties were coming in.

"Laurie!" He ran towards the nearest entrance and headed down to the hanger bay where he knew the team would bring in the wounded.

**((They))**

**((They))**

**((Coming))**

**((They are))**

**((THEY ARE COMING))**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9: Red Sunset**

* * *

Tante Mattie sat in her chair, humming a lullaby as she knitted another scarf for Dawn, this one a dark maroon color. It didn't matter if it was too hot in New Orleans to wear scarves or gloves and hats, Dawn would wear them anyways. She said it was like being wrapped up in love. Even if it was something mass produced, she said it still felt like love because someone, somewhere, worked in poor conditions to provide for their family. To give them a home, food and comfort. It had to be love.

Tante Mattie sighed, dropping her knitting to her lap.

"Lord, let dis child be fine. Let her join her family again." she prayed out loud.

Birdie looked up from her spot near Mattie's feet, tilting her head to the side and gave a slight whimper. Mattie leaned forward and gave her a few pats, allowing a few licks on her palm to calm the Border Collie down some before she picked up her knitting. Birdie stood up, stretching her short stocky body and shook off its lush tri-colored coat and wiggling her short tail quickly. She walked over to Dawn's bed, sniffing at the covers before deciding that nothing had changed and laid down, her head resting on her paws.

Mattie picked up her knitting, working through a line when the lights in the room dimmed. A second later, alarms rang out announcing the yellow alert and the light above the door turned yellow. Mattie jumped in surprise when Birdie climbed to her feet, barking at the noise that broke through the peaceful room.

"Shush girl!" Mattie berated the dog. Birdie pulled her ears back, casting her brown eyes downward but stopped barking. Mattie patted the dog on the head before heading for the door. She pressed the button that would open it and poked her head out, looking in both directions for any of the X-men but finding none. She stepped back into the room, reaching for the room phone. She held it to her ear but only heard the recorded message that announced that all civilians to remain where they were until further notice.

A bad feeling was growing in her gut and she didn't live this long to ignore it now. Something was happening and she needed to know how it would affect Dawn. With her choice made, she turned to Birdie, "Listen here girl, you protect her. Don' let her out o' sight understand? Stay." Birdie sat down, her ears alert and her eyes searching.

Satisfied, Mattie walked out of the room. She decided to head left and walked about ten feet when she spotted one of the younger mutants, a boy with green skin and a large abnormal arm, Victor she believe his name was, walking at a brisk pace. She called out his name, racing after him.

In the room, the temperature rose by two degrees and the long sought movement waited on by the whole island happened as a finger twitched on Dawn's left hand. A moment later, her eyelids fluttered and a second after that, she opened her eyes and sat up in bed with a gasp. She was panting, a hand pressed over her neck, feeling the rapid pumping of her blood under her fingers. She looked around the room in confusion and with her defenses heightens in a dangerous degree.

Birdie whined at the sudden changed in her master before barking, getting Dawn's attention.

"Birdie?" She climbed off the bed and held open her arms as the dog jumped on her, licking her face, her neck, anywhere her muzzle could reach as she welcomed back her master. "Oh Birdie!" Dawn hugged her dog close, while stroking her fur. "Where are we? What's-"

The alarms fell silent and to Dawn, that made everything worst. She held Birdie tighter, scooting away from the bed and towards the wall, stopping only when she felt it against her back, cool to the touch. This room didn't look like any of the rooms in any of the safe houses in New Orleans or any place nearby. Everything was mixed up in her head. _Where was Papa? Wasn't he with her or-did the bad men grab him? Laurie was hurt-hurt so bad._ She didn't know what was what and that frighten her. So she fell back to what Papa taught her when she didn't know what to do.

_**First-she had to protect herself.**_

She quickly got up and headed towards the door, looking at the mechanisms before pressing the red button. She heard the locks click in place. It seemed strange that she could lock the door so easily but pushed it to the back of her mind. No one can get in now...she hoped.

_**Second-she had to make sure she was alone.**_

Obviously she wasn't alone because Birdie is with her. A quick search of the room let her find the hidden camera and disable it. With that done, she went on to step three- _**make her escape**_. Whoever had her had managed to grab a few of her things, personal items that were at the mansion and some of Gram's things. They even grabbed a knitting she was working on.

Dawn felt a chill go up her spine. If they had reached the mansion before Gram left then she might-they had grabbed Birdie, who didn't let anyone approach her unless commanded; again strange but she wasn't going to over think this. She needed to leave. She packed up a few things of hers, the ones that she couldn't go without and quickly changed clothes.

"Coming. They're coming. We gotta go Birdie." Dawn said to the dog, tugging on an orange colored jacket. She stood up, her eyes slowly changing from glowing red to golden yellow, like burning infernos against the black. Bright lights started to appear in her closed fists. "They're coming."

* * *

"And you're sure dat dis yellow alert will not bring any danger t' Dawn?" Tante Mattie asked Victor.

Victor nodded. "Yeah, this alarm is just to let everyone on the island know that there is an alert, like an alert for bad weather. We're expecting something but it's nothing dangerous. Believe me, if there was something dangerous, the main team would be charging down these halls to Dawn's room. There is no way we'd let anything happen to her." Victor's eyes flashed protectively. He'd protect Dawn with his life, determined to protect her from all the dangers that being a mutant and a kid could bring. Nothing like what happened to him and his friends would happen to her, not if he could stop it.

Tante Mattie nodded, somewhat reassured. She believed him when he said that they'd protect Dawn but she didn't feel like he knew the whole truth behind the alert. But other than trying to get in contact with Remy, she would have to trust him. Thanking him, she walked back to the room.

She pressed the code that would open the door but it beeped and the little light turned red, denying her access.

She frowned and the re-entered the code. It beeped again, the light turning red. She pressed on the door but it remained locked. Heart starting to race, she pressed the code on the keys with force. Again she was denied access. She pounded on the door, and struggled with the handle, pushing on the door with all her strength and failed. It remained locked and unmovable.

"Dawn!" she yelled. "Dawn?" She heard barking through the door, muffled. She pounded on the door again as she saw bright light escape from under the door. "Birdie!" She fought with the door, cursing in Creole before running down the hall to get help.

* * *

"I already told you I am fine." Laurie crossed her arms as Gambit gave her a once over. She sat on a bed in Medical, waiting to be released by one of the doctors when Gambit found her. "I am completely healed."

"Let dis old man be de final judge in dat huh?" Gambit asked. Laurie huffed but allowed him this small victory as she held out her hand. He grabbed it and used it as a launching board to give her a through check.

"How did dis happen?" he asked, running his fingers up her arm.

"There was an explosion at a cafe. I was not there when it happened but Megan and Jubilee were. They say a man with a bomb strapped to his chest entered and blew himself up." Laurie explained as Gambit moved from her arms to her shoulders and moved down her torso, poking at a bare part of her clothes; blacken around the edges but smooth skin underneath. "I heard the explosion and went to investigate. It was on fire so I went inside to pull out survivors."

She twitched when he sidestepped her legs and took a look at her back where the fire damage was even worst. The back of her shirt was nearly non existent and he swallowed. Her back was smooth and unblemished, smeared with ash and dried blood. He ran a finger down her back, stopping at the dip of her spine when she winced.

"And here?"

"A beam fell on me. I would have avoided it but there was a small girl on the ground and I moved to protect her. The others found us and pulled the beam off but my spine was broken." Laurie shrugged, her face pained as she moved sore muscles. Gambit stepped back from her, an unreadable expression on his face. "She-reminded me of Dawn. I couldn't leave her there."

He nodded in understanding, rubbing a hand behind his neck before he blew out the air he was unconsciously holding in. He hated feeling worried about Laurie because he knew she could protect herself, could heal from anything, that she was strong and independent but she had almost died a few weeks ago. If it weren't for Dawn-

"Wait, your spine was broken?" Gambit asked surprised, picking up that little tidbit. Usually it took a few hours for her to recover from a serious injury like that. "Then how are you sittin' around like dis?"

"I don't know. I've been noticing that my wounds heal faster than before. It's almost instant now for cuts and minutes for broke bones." Laurie tilted her head to the side. "Do you think it is because of what Dawn did to me?"

"Dat's a good-"

An alarm screech loudly and red lights started flashing. Laurie jumped off the bed and Gambit stood at ready. They've heard this alarm before. Exchanging glances, they ran out of Medical and headed to the stairs, not trusting the elevator to take them where they needed to go.

The smell of smoke was thick as they reached the level where Dawn slept. They pushed open the door, coughing as thick black smoke flowed out of the hallway and into the stairwell. The alarms on this level were ear piercing almost deafening but Laurie pressed forward, her thoughts firmly on Dawn. They drew closer to the room to find that several people had already arrived to put out the fire that seemed to be coming from the room.

"Tante Mattie!" Gambit yelled out, coughing as the smoke filled his lungs. "Mattie!"

"Here!" _*cough cough*_ "I'm here boy!" Gambit and Laurie made their way to the old woman's side, helping her to her feet and away from the heaviest of the smoke. "Oh lord, it's my fault!" she cried, eyes watering from the smoke or her own emotions, they weren't sure.

"Tante? What happened?" Gambit asked, rubbing her shoulders to ease her distress. He hated seeing Tante Mattie so upset.

"De alarms went off for yellow alert. So I left de room t' find someone t' tell me what was goin' on since all I heard was a recording on de phone. I was gone only for a few minutes-" Tante Mattie coughed again. "I came back but de door wouldn't open. I pressed in de code but it wouldn't let me in. I panicked. I ran t' go find help an' den dere was dis loud boom! An explosion followed by dis fire-oh lord Remy if Dawn was hurt..."

"Don' you worry Tante. Dis is Dawn, fire don' hurt her." Gambit reassured the old woman. He could understand how she felt, she was as close to a mother as Dawn could get. If he didn't have Tante Mattie helping him raise Dawn, he would have been lost. "Stay here, I'll go get her and bring her here."

Tante Mattie nodded. Gambit had Laurie stay with her before he headed back to the room where the fire was put out thanks to the arrival of Bobby Drake. Ice lined the walls around the doorway and he was careful with his steps when he entered the room. A quick study of the room let him know that she was gone. And so was Birdie.

He frowned, the furrow in his brow deepening as he headed deeper inside. He only got a few seconds to confirm his suspicions when he heard a voice demand, "What happened here?"

"Fire alarm in Dawn's room." Bobby replied. Gambit looked over his shoulder at the two men and his eyes widen when he saw the remains of the fading superheated glow of melted metal under the ice against the wall where the door was. It appeared as three long slashes across the wall. "It appeared to be an explosion. As you can see, the door didn't survive." Said door was laying across the hall, incased in ice and bent outward, a misshapen piece of metal.

"Be serious." Cyclops said, walking pass him.

"I was being serious." Bobby sulked as he followed Cyclops inside the room.

"Why am I not surprised to see you here?" Cyclops asked Gambit. Gambit shrugged easily. "I don' know _homme_, I am her Pere after all. Anything dat has t' do wit' Dawn, you know I'll be dere."

"And before you ask; no I wasn't here when dis happened. I was wit' Laurie in Medical, ask de doctors, they'll tell you." Gambit said before Cyclops could open his mouth. "She's not here."

"Dawn is gone?"

"Dat's what I said."

Cyclops nodded, pressing his thumb on the combadge that rested on his chest. "Cypher. Lock down the island. No one in or out and then start a roll call, starting from the Alpha team to the Young X-men. I want Alpha team to start searching the level they're on for Dawn. She's awake and active."

"Sure thing Boss." Cypher's voice replied through the com. He sounded strange, like he was speaking underwater.

"Hey wait a minute! Calm down huh?" Gambit protested, holding his hands up. "You can't lock down de island like dat. You'll only scare her worst then you already are. She'll make it impossible for you t' find her. Let me and Laurie go find her, she'll listen t' us."

"Her powers are active. She might not listen to you." Cyclops stated. "We don't know what condition her mind is in right now and that is dangerous."

"She's a kid. She's probably just scared. Dis isn't some wild mutant on the loose here!" Gambit could feel his anger rise when Cyclops didn't reply. "I don' believe you. You can't do dis!"

"I understand that she's your daughter. I understand that you want to protect her. But you have to take into the account that no matter how kind, how smart or how young she is, she is a mutant. A powerful one at that." Cyclops said choosing his words carefully. "We don't know how her powers work or what sets them off-"

"Sendin' a team after her won' be helpin' her either!"

"Regardless, I have to do what is best of the island. And Dawn. I promise you, no harm will come to her." Cyclops said. "She is important to us."

Gambit growled under his breath, muttering off a list of curses. "Fine. You do it your way. You won' find her." He turned on his heel and started towards Tante Mattie and Laurie who had been watching from a distance. "We'll be at de Professors when you need us." he called back over his shoulder.

* * *

The wait was excruciating and tense.

Gambit wanted nothing more than to head out and look for Dawn but it would make things worst...or so Storm said. Ororo had knocked on the Professor's door ten minutes after his confrontation with Cyclops and after she was released from the level she was locked down on. Laurie and Tante Mattie sat one of the two couches while the Professor sat in leather armchair, a book in his hands.

When Gambit appeared at his door with Tante Mattie and Laurie in tow, he knew that one of the worst case scenarios had happened. He let them in and immediately went to work on tracking Dawn's mental signature. He was assaulted with a barrage of voices, emotions, thoughts that forced him to withdraw. So he couldn't pinpoint where she was or how she was but he assured Gambit that she didn't seem to be pain.

A couple of drinks sat in front of them, while Gambit's was untouched, the rest had at some point got refills of theirs. A plate of fancy cookies sat in the middle of the table. Ororo sat on the couch with Gambit, her combadge open to the radio frequency of the Alpha team looking for Dawn.

She had forgiven him for knocking her out and promised to keep the secret about the voices that started coming from Dawn as long as they didn't pose a health risk to Dawn. It was hard for her, as she held an oath of loyalty to Cyclops and the X-men but as Gambit's sister, he held the loyalty of family. Even if he did keep Dawn secret from her. But after he explained everything to her, she understood although she still felt that he was keeping something from her.

Gambit kept secrets because he felt he had too. If this was something that he felt he had to keep it hidden, she would respect his wishes and not pry. She only hoped that he would reveal it to her in time. For now, she kept him company and stopped him and Laurie from charging out of the room. She trusted Cyclops would keep his promise and not harm Dawn.

"How much longer?" Gambit asked, his arms spread wide on the back of the couch, his head laying back as he stared up at the ceiling. It may have looked like he was relaxing, save for his right foot swinging side to side at a fast pace. "He won' find her like dis."

"Cyclops wants to be certain. After all, Dawn is important-" Ororo replied.

"Important to us because she is the first mutant called since M-Day." Gambit echoed with her. She glared at him and he gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry Stormy, its just I hate dat I can't go find my girl. If he just listened t' me, we would have her now."

"You can't know that." Storm answered.

"It's Dawn." Gambit said firmly. "I know her, inside out. I raised her, believe me, no one knows dat girl better than me."

"And those voices? Do you know them?" Storm asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I-" he opened his mouth before he frowned and closed it with a shake of his head. Storm gave a nod of her victory. "No, I don' know them but if they are a part of Dawn, den maybe it won't be so bad. It can't be as bad as people are thinkin'. And people can imagine de worst things 'bout someone." He knew that only too well. For the longest time, no one bothered to look pass the charming thievin' womanizing front he put up when he first came to the X-men. Bishop, the man from the future, had never given up the idea he was the X-men traitor until Onslaught (and wasn't that a surprise to everyone but himself).

"Someone is at the door." Professor Xavier announced, marking his place in the book before closing it. A second later, there was a doorbell. Laurie was on her feet and headed for the door before anyone. She pulled open the door to reveal Cyclops and Emma Frost. She was out of her diamond form, the first time he's seen it since he was on the island. Of course, he's heard that she only came out of it when she was on missions that were away from Utopia.

"Did you find her?" Laurie demanded, holding the door in her hand, ready to close it if she didn't like the answer she received.

"No." Cyclops replied. Laurie's eyes narrowed and she looked like she was about to say something before she changed her mind and let them in. She walked back to her seat besides Tante Mattie as Cyclops and Emma entered the room, declining a seat or a drink. "The Cuckoos haven't had any luck in tracking her. Wolverine has been having trouble catching her scent because of the smoke. It doesn't look like she is on the island anymore. How that happened, we can't figure out-"

A laugh came from Gambit's direction.

"One of the speedboats has gone missing. Cypher tracked it to a dock not far from the island but it's been abandon." Cyclops stopped when a smile appeared on Gambit's lips. "Is there something amusing Gambit? Dawn is off the island and on her own in the city."

"Sorry _homme_. Really I am but it's just-I'm glad that she actually paid attention t' de trainin'. Mercy used t' complain 'bout Dawn's short attention span during class." Gambit said, sitting up straighter, thinking of his no nonsense sister-in-law. When he found Dawn, he'll make sure to give her a call and let her know that Dawn has awakened and that they can come visit her.

"Training?" Emma questioned. "Don't tell me that you actually thought that she would be raised to become a thief." She had an amused _I-can't-believe-you_ and _You-are-an-imbecile_ look on her face. That was impressive.

Gambit shrugged. "When in Rome do as the Romans do. If your Pere is King of Thieves, dat makes you a Princess of Thieves. It seemed natural t' train her when we were in New Orleans." And at the sour look on Mattie's face, he had forgotten to mention that fact to her. She wanted Dawn away from all that Guild business. He stood up and stretched, flexing his relaxed muscles. "So you're here t' ask for my help yeah?"

"We came to give you an update but with this new information, that you should have told us beforehand, and a team already assembled-then yes, I've come to ask for your input. You know Dawn better than anyone and if she is training to become a thief, it would be quicker and easier to have you with us." Cyclops conceded. Gambit felt like ribbing him but thought better of it. After all, Scott Summers didn't get this far by making mistakes or refusing to use everything at his disposal. If he felt that Gambit could be of help, then he wouldn't be mistaken. Gambit knew exactly what to do.

"Birdie was gone." Gambit replied. Tante Mattie and Laurie nodded in agreement. They had noticed this as well and had spoken about it while waiting.

"What?" Emma asked puzzled and impatient at the same time. "What does the dog have to do with this?"

"Well, I don' see her wit' you. So dat means you haven't found her. Dat means she's not on de island either." Gambit answered, heading for the door, motioning for them all to follow. "Also, I noticed dat a bag was gone. A black and gray plaid and stars bag. Dat was her emergency bag. With Birdie and dat bag, Dawn is set t' disappear t' anywhere within an hour since she woke up. It's been 30 minutes since dat happened."

"You still haven't answered my question about the dog-"

"Dawn loves Birdie." Gambit stopped walking and faced the group. "I don' mean love, like you love candy or you love your girlfriend. I mean, Dawn _**LOVES**_ Birdie. If de whole world were to burn t' ashes and she was de last person alive, as long Birdie is wit' her, Dawn would be okay and carry on like nothin' happened. There are only two things in de whole world dat Dawn loves more den me and will never leave behind...ever. Her grandmother's saint necklace, given t' her by Claire when she turned five _(which is missing)_ and Birdie, her constant companion since she was a little girl. Birdie has been with her through everythin', and I mean everythin'. Dawn wouldn't leave anywhere wit'out her."

"She won't make it far." Cyclops pointed out.

"You're kiddin' _homme_. She's already making her way 'cross de bridge headin' t' Oakland." he scoffed as he turned and continued to walk. "But lucky for you, I have a way t' find her."

They followed Gambit as he headed up to the command room where Cypher was crouched over his screens, his glasses off so that they could all see how bloodshot red and darkly circled his eyes were. Many of the computer screens flashed as they downloaded and pushed their servers to the limit as he continued to search for the meaning of the word-

There were other X-men in the command room, talking among themselves over this new emergency. How was it that a girl had slipped pass all their security? Was she ok? Where did she go? How were they supposed to find her in a city that was full of millions of people? Did Gambit plan this all from the very beginning? It was well known that he didn't want Dawn here but he had done nothing to make it look like he planned on leaving, not with him signing up to teach a class.

"I need a computer." Gambit announced when they were in the room.

"Cypher has command of the computers. He'll search for whatever you need." Cyclops pointed out the blonde haired man sitting in from a large computer screen. Gambit nodded and headed for the man, tapping him on the shoulder when he didn't respond to his call. He frowned and tried again.

"..." Cypher replied.

Gambit raised an eyebrow at the non reply. "Are you okay there _homme_?"

"Douglas? How long have you been here? You should really take a break?" Storm moved to his side, putting gentle hands on his shoulders. He made to move away from her but it required too much effort so he let her be. After all, she wasn't the first one to notice his strange behavior. A few of the New Mutants had asked him to leave with them but he refused. They sat in a group, chatting amongst themselves while shooting worried glances every now and then.

"Can't. Still searching. Must continue." Cypher mumbled tiredly, resting his chin against his chest, his fingers pressing keys on the keyboard slowly. "I need the meaning-meaning of the word-"

Storm motioned for one of his teammates over and together they pulled him away from the screens. With the command to take him to Medical for much needed rest, Cyclops had Kitty take over his duties for the time being. She sat down, cracking and wiggling her fingers to start the search to find that Gambit had already grabbed a keyboard and started the search. She pouted slightly before looking over at his screen with interest. She was surprised to see that he had pulled up a website that was used by pet owners to track their pets.

"Chipped Tracking, a peace of mind for all pet owners." she read the tagline. She glanced up at Gambit. "You had Birdie microchipped?" she stated happily.

He nodded. "With all de traveling we did, it was practical and really did bring a peace of mind t' Dawn. Plus, it is required in New Orleans t' have your pet microchipped. Dis site is able t' track your pet in all major cities around de world. It de main reason I registered Birdie here. I can track her location and get Dawn's location too." he explained as he logged into the site. He let Kitty take over the rest when he put in Birdie's ID tracker. With her skills, she managed to move their tracking system to Utopia's system in order to get an almost immediate lock.

"There." Gambit pointed out the red light blinking on the screen. "She's stopped." He frowned when he saw where she stopped at. "We need t' get there fast."

"Why?" asked Kitty, confused as she tapped on the keyboard to pull up traffic cams on and around the Oakland Bay Bridge.

"Don' you think it's a bit strange she stopped in de middle of de bridge?" Gambit asked, looking down at the younger woman. "When she should be runnin' as far and as fast as she could?"

"Maybe she's confused." Storm offered up an explanation. "After all, the last thing she remembers is being in New Orleans and San Francisco is vastly different. There could be many options."

"And I think we need to get there fast." Kitty spoke up as she pulled up various screens. They showed the current traffic routes and nearly all of them had vehicles stopped bumper to bumper. The whole bridge was stopped and people were out of their cars, hands waving and yelling. As they switched from camera screen to camera screen, they could see that the traffic jam was spreading outwards to other parts of the city closest to the bridge.

The whole room held their breath as one screen showed Dawn, standing on a railing looking west as Birdie stood below her, barking as behind her people were yelling at each other. A few were looking and pointing in Dawn's direction.

"Alpha team to the Blackbird now." Cyclops ordered the room. "Gambit you're with us. We're heading to grab Dawn before something happens to her. Kitty, you're on coms. Cuckoos you're on Ceberea, keep us informed on any changes on Dawn conditions."

"We'll try Cyclops but we can't get a good read on her." Phoebe answered.

"We get static whenever we try to read her." Celeste replied.

"Then aim for the crowd. They should be a clear sign on the situation around her. Mindee, you're with us." Cyclops added when he saw that Emma had transformed to her diamond form. He knew he would have to have another talk with her about her transforming whenever she was in the same location as Dawn. She danced around his questions earlier but he wouldn't let her drag this out anymore. She was going to become a liability. "We're going to need your telepathy."

"Understood." Mindee said, nodding to her sisters before she followed the team to the Blackbird.

"I want to go." Laurie stated, following the team.

"Out of the question. I have a team already Laura, you're not needed." Cyclops said.

"I am her sister. I am her protector. I will not be denied in her hour of need!" Laurie snarled. A hand grabbed her shoulder and she whirled around, ready for a fight only to stop when she realized that it was Gambit. He offered her a comforting smile and slipped her a card. She looked at it, nodding before stopping, and leaned against the wall to let the others pass by her. She waited until they were pass before she headed in the opposite direction. If things went south on the bridge, she would be the back-up plan and this time, she vowed, she will not fail.

"Cyclops!" Dr. Rao joined the team as they headed down the hall. "I must speak with you."

Cyclops slowed his pace. Dr. Rao was a woman he listened to, even if his attention was on something else. She always had a good reason to speak with him concerning the citizens on Utopia.

"Quickly Doctor."

"Jubilee's gone missing. And her test results have just come back. She's been infected." Dr. Rao stepped aside when Cyclops stopped suddenly.

"Are you certain?" he asked.

"I ran the test twice. Both came back positive." Dr. Rao nodded. She looked worried. "Jubilee will become a vampire in a matter of days. Hours if she succumbs to the bloodlust or if she runs into another vampire to hasten her transformation."

"And she escaped?"

"Yes. When the lockdown was lifted, she left to go to her room but she wasn't there when I checked. No one has seen her since then."

Cyclops nodded. As much as he would like to search for the former mutant and former X-man, they had bigger things to worry about. "Have you checked the others who where involved with the explosion?"

"Yes. Negative all of them."

"Good. We'll concentrate more on the matter when I get back." Cyclops said, dismissing Dr. Rao before he ran to catch up with the rest of the team. Neither noticed the old Cajun woman listening in the shadows, her hand holding onto a silver cross hanging around her neck. When both persons were gone, Tante Mattie stepped out, whispering prayers.

This wasn't good. She would need to call for help. Lucky for her, she knew just who to call.

* * *

On the jet, Gambit is sitting up front wondering what made Dawn run away like that. He had taught her to run yes, to hide and take care of herself if she sensed she was in danger but only when she discovered what that danger was. Surely she had saw Birdie with her, that should have eased her fears enough for her to wait until someone showed up. Maybe it was the alarms that frightened her?

He looked out of his window to take in the view, to ease this mind. It is close to evening now and the sun is sinking into the ocean, turning the sky into a firestorm of colors. Golden orange, deep reds and brilliant yellows sparkling off the water and casting shadows in the few clouds floating in the sky. It's beautiful-almost mesmerizing...something is different about it...

He could feel his thoughts start to fade away, slipping into a peace he hasn't felt in a long time. If only he could just stare at this sunset forever! A soft jolt in the jet startled him, normally not such a big deal but he felt his heart pounding and an overwhelming need to take deep breath.

"Mindee! Throw up a psi shield now!" he ordered the blonde girl next to him.

She looked at him in surprise. "Wha-?"

He grabbed her arm. "Now!"

She nodded and closed her eyes, concentrating before she pulled a shield. As soon as she did, she felt a pressure against it and gasped, startled at how heavy and strong it was. Around her she could hear several of the X-men jerk and gasp in surprise as they became aware of themselves.

"What the-?"

"Did you feel that?"

"I-"

"What's going on back there?" Cyclops demanded. He didn't seem to be affected from what struck half his team.

"An attack." Mindee spoke up, opening her eyes. A throbbing in her mind was beginning to form. "Some psychic presence that snuck up on me, I didn't even realize until Gambit spoke up." She groaned as she felt the pressure on her shield increase. "It's strong but unfocused. I can keep it at bay."

"For how long?"

"Until we find Dawn."

Cyclops nodded, turning his attention back to flying. "We'll be there shortly. If you have trouble, have your sisters aid you."

The team settled back into their seats, their focus laser sharp now that they knew they could be influenced by an outside force. The only question was, who was causing it and why? A few others felt their eyes shift back to the sunset, that feeling of being drawn in by its beauty...it was still there but it had faded greatly. It felt like some phantom feeling, like remembering a fond memory from long ago that had lost all its details but the vague notion that it was a good memory.

Mindee groaned, holding her head. "The feeling is getting stronger." She leaned forward in her seat. "I can feel it pressing against the shield."

"Can you hold it?" Cyclops asked.

She looked undecided in her answer. "I can try. It feels like holding back an entire ocean with plexi-glass. It bends and forms but doesn't break. But it will-oh god...!"

"Link up with your sisters. Have them help you." Cyclops ordered. He needed his team shielded from this psychic.

Mindee was panting, shaking her head. "I can't. I'm using all my efforts to keep the shield up. If I reach out to them-"

"Your shield will break." Cyclops finished. This was a dangerous situation to be in. He turned to Emma, who looked upset at what he was about to ask. "Emma..."

"I refuse to let her in." Emma said, crossing her arms under her breasts. "I refuse to let _her_ in!"

"Then don't let her." Cyclops replied. Emma gave him a long, cool look before she dropped her diamond form. She was free now to use her telepathy and with some effort, joined Mindee to hold back the overwhelming psychic presence. Mindee let out a sigh of relief when Emma took over majority of the shielding. With this respite, she then sought out the cause. About this time, the Oakland Bay Bridge was in sight and car headlights glowed in long line across the bridge to both shores and beyond.

"I found it." Mindee said, look of surprise on her face. "I can't believe it but I found it."

"Where is it?"

"There." Mindee pointed to the bridge. "It's over there."

Pieces started to click together as they flew closer to the bridge to see that the bridge wasn't in turmoil like they had seen on Utopia. Instead of the fighting and yelling like before, it was calm and still. There were still people on the bridge but they were standing and facing the sunset, their faces showing awe and peace as if this was the first sunset they've ever seen. The jet made another pass around the bridge as Cyclops and Nightcrawler searched for Dawn.

"There it is." Mindee said. "There she is." She looked back at the team. "It's Dawn. She's send out the psychic presence. It's affecting everyone on the ground."

The jet slowed and lowered enough so that it could hover just above the bridge. No one seemed to care that a massive 5 ton jet was above their heads, instead moving away in a daze to keep the wind from the engines from interrupting their sunset watching.

"All right team, this is it. We go down, grab Dawn and head back to Utopia. She's sending out some kind of psychic blanket that is affecting everyone within her reach-whether she realizes it or not, is up for discussion later but for now, I want you to treat her with utmost care." Cyclops ordered the team, opening the hatch at the bottom of the jet. Nightcrawler would keep the jet in the air, Emma and Mindee would keep the shield up and the rest of them would go out. Cyclops looked at Gambit. "You get to see her first. Talk to her and try to get her to drop this."

Gambit nodded, grateful that Cyclops would give him this chance. Storm wrapped her arms around his waist and together, they floated down to the bridge with the rest of the team following. They landed among the crowd, careful to avoid jolting them out of this daze they seem to be in. It could end badly if they were suddenly jarred out of whatever psychic hold Dawn had on them. Gambit stopped the team when he spotted Dawn, standing on the railing like the computer screen showed them. Birdie was sitting below her, her tail wagging in joy when she spotted Gambit. She ran up to him.

"Birdie." Gambit bent and patted the dog, ruffling her fur and allowing a few licks in before shushing her. Birdie followed him as he made his way to Dawn, trying to think of something to say when she spoke.

"You see it don't you?" Dawn asked when he was close enough. "Tell me you see it please."

Remy looked towards the sunrise. It was a beautiful display of pale blues, bright orange and dark yellows, casting shimmering gold reflections off of the water below. But he had a feeling that isn't what she was talking about. The way her eyes glistened knew he hit the point on the head. "I see something over there." he said honestly. From the way her breath hitched, he knew that wasn't the answer she was looking for.

"I was running to the safe house with Birdie when I looked west. And stopped. I could see it, like swirling waves of color against the blue of the sky. Every time I looked away and continued to run, I would stop after a few steps because it was so beautiful. People were stopping to look too. Cars would slow to a stop, evening runners slowed to a walk before stopping completely. We all stopped to look at the sky because it was different."

"And you can't see it." Dawn was crying now, although she didn't seem to realize it as she turned back to the setting sun. "They changed the sky and you can't see it. Because our skies aren't the same anymore. You don't see it the way I do and-and it hurts because I want to share everything with you but I can't share this because I don't know how our skies are different to fix it. I'm different now." She said that last part as a statement. Remy walked to the railing, wanting to reach out and take her in his arms but she needed this time to come to terms with this change on her own. She needed to accept this part of herself.

"We're all different Dawnie. It's just a matter of allowing ourselves to adjust and accept it while remaining true to ourselves." Remy said, leaning against the railing next to her, looking at the sunset. _"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."_

It was a familiar quote. One that Tante Mattie often said and had Remy, Laurie and Dawn repeat time and time again. It was from Eleanor Roosevelt, a woman who had done wonders in her lifetime and one woman that Dawn admired because amazingly enough; it was someone her Mum had greatly admired.

_No one can make you feel inferior without your consent._

Even if she was different now, she was still Dawn.

She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh before she turned and jumped down from the railing. She hugged Remy, pressing her face against his chest as he put his arms around her shoulders. He held her, stroking her hair as she relaxed against him. She was safe now. The air around her shimmered and he could feel her powers ebb away from the crowd.

Around her the people who were stopped to watch the sun started moving around, as if waking up from some daydream. But instead panicking like Remy thought would happen, they continued on doing what they were doing before stopping. As if stopping traffic to a standstill to watch the sun set was a completely normal thing to do. They didn't even seem to notice the X-men standing on the bridge or the jet hovering next to the bridge.

"Feel better?" he asked her. Dawn pulled back, wiping her arm across her eyes and she nodded.

"I was afraid. But I'm not anymore. You came for me." Dawn gave him her best smile, though it still held a tint of sadness in it, he ignored it because he knew she was getting better. "You always come for me."

"And don' you forget it." Remy said, ruffling her hair.

"This isn't New Orleans. Are we in California?" Dawn asked as she took Remy's hand in her own. She paused when she finally noticed the X-men behind him. "Who are they? Are they nice people?"

"We're getting along." Remy replied, leading her towards the group. "Dawn, dis is de X-men."

Dawn's eyes widen in awe. "_wow_." she said quietly.

A grin spread across her face. "You're the superheroes the whole world hates and despise for just existing!" she announced cheerfully.

There was a choked sound from somewhere in the group. "W-what?"

"Papa has told me so much about you guys! He said that even when the odds are against you, you still go out to face the bad guys because that's what heroes do. No matter what he said. You saved the world so many times!" Dawn giggled. "Oh I wish I had my book with me, cuz then I can get autographs. Jessia will be so jeal-!"

Dawn turned towards Remy and tugged on his coat hard. "Jessia!" Her voice was pitched high in fear and urgency.

"She's fine. She's safe at home in New Orleans." Remy answered, putting a hand on Dawn's head. He could see that everything was starting to catch up to her. She didn't know that it's been weeks since she fell into a coma. To her, the attack in New Orleans was practically yesterday.

"There was so much blood. And screaming and fire. So much fire." Dawn's voice became soft, her eyes glazing over as she remembered what happened. "Bad men came. Bad men. They called me monster, devil and evil-"

"Dawn, look at me_ cherie_." Dawn's eyes shifted over to his, looking deep into his own. "Don' you listen t' those men. Men like dat are weak an' not worth your time. You understand? Dey beneath you."

Dawn nodded. "I know Papa. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

"Dat's my girl." Remy smiled and stood up to face the X-men, holding Dawn's hand. "Now, let me you show you a place that superheroes live. We're going t' live dere now."

Dawn looked up at him in surprise. "We are?"

* * *

**AN: Thanks to everyone for the reviews and faves and story alerts! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! And get ready for the next one which will be filled with action, vampires and the unveiling of Dawn's powers!  
**

**Til next time! \(^0^)/  
**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 10: Warning**

* * *

The trip back to Utopia with Dawn is much more laid back then the last one but also quieter. For one thing, there was no worry about any injured. And second was that they discovered is that Dawn was extremely talkative and curious, sitting in the front row with a quiet Remy, her knees on the seat as she looked back over the top of seat with her arms crossed and her chin resting on them after she asked a question.

"So you're part of the original team of X-men?" she asked Iceman. His seat is right behind hers and he is the first person she was brave enough to talk to.

"Yeah, I am. They call me Iceman." Bobby grinned, producing an ice swan before her eyes. He handed it to her.

"Wow, its cold!" she yelped in surprise, switching it from one hand quickly as she pulled her sleeves down to cover her hands. "Pretty."

"I'm glad you like it."

"I do!" Dawn held the swan to her chest, a pink flush on her cheeks. "Thank you."

"We're approaching Utopia." Cyclops announced from the cockpit. Dawn turned around in her seat and sat down, while Remy helps fasten her seat belt. "Touch down in one minute."

Dawn held the swan on her lap but her finger started tapping against the armrest. Remy noticed this and leans over, speaking in her ear. "Are you feelin' okay _petite_?"

Dawn nodded before shaking her head. "It was wrong before. That is why I left. It wasn't safe."

"And now?"

"I'm with you. As long as I'm with you, I'll be okay even if you don't believe in yourself anymore." Remy felt his heart jump as he mussed up her hair, making her giggle. After all these years, she could still make him feel like he could take on the entire world, no the _entire universe_ with a few simple words. Her faith in him was unyielding. "And plus the danger is gone from here now." He tilt his head in question, ready to ask her why she thought that when they reached the island.

The jet descended, making Dawn's stomach lurch slightly followed by a small bump as it landed on the landing pad. The team waited for the all clear from Cyclops before unbuckling their seat belts. Dawn waited until Remy undid his belt before undoing hers, grabbing his hand as he heads towards the exit, the team following close behind him. There is a gathering on the landing pad as news about Dawn's awakening and return spread throughout Utopia.

Dawn stopped just inside the exit, moving away from the opening when she sees how many were out there. She tightens her hold on Remy's hand, shifting closer to him. "There's so many of them." She said with awe.

"Yeah."

"Why are they out there?"

"Dey've come t' see you. Dey want t' see wit' their own eyes de youngest mutant on Earth. To dem, you are de future of mutant-kind."

"I am?" Dawn looked up at Remy, her golden eyes wide. He had hoped that her eyes would revert back to the red on black but they remained gold on black. He hoped that wasn't a sign of trouble coming. "Why?"

"Because you are de first mutant t' come into their power since M-Day. You're de miracle everyone has been waitin' for." Remy explained. "You 'member de story I told you how a red witch made a wish and wiped out an entire race?"

"But that was just a story. Wasn't it?" Dawn asked, frightened suddenly. She loved and hated that story. A witch who was beloved by the people had gone crazy and in her craziness, made a wish that wiped out an entire race of special people. She then disappeared, never to be heard from again. The way Papa told it to her, made her wonder why a person who was as beloved as the witch turned bad. Why every time she thought about that story, it made her heart ache.

"No one should have that kind of power." Dawn said suddenly, looking up at Remy. "No one should have that kind of responsibility to change what they don't understand or to think they know what better or to make a wish based on sorrow. It hurts people."

"You've a kind heart Dawn." Remy smiled at her. "Don' you lose dat yeah?"

Dawn nods before turning her attention back to the ever growing crowd outside on the landing pad. "What should I do when I get out there? What are they expecting?"

She didn't wait for an answer, instead she tugged on Remy's hand and together they walk out of the jet. Everyone who could-came out to see Dawn; to see the hope of the future with the first mutant to come into their power since M-Day. To see a cheerful little girl with a smile on her face hand in hand with the mutant traitor who was her father. Admittedly, they were envious on how close and happy she seemed to be with him at her side.

When she is close enough to them, she stopped and let go of Remy's hand. She took a step towards the gathering.

"Thank you for welcoming me to your home." she said, bowing at the waist before straightening up. "My name is Dawn Autumn LeBeau. I hope to meet and know all of you as friends." she finished with a pleased smile.

* * *

"Why did you run?" Dawn shifted in the chair, trying to look anywhere but at the green eyes that stared at her. "It is not safe out there alone."

"It wasn't safe here." Dawn said before she looked up at the eyes finally, wilting under the intense look. "I'm sorry Laurie. I didn't mean to make you worry about me. I was going to call when I was at the safe-house I swear!"

"You should have taken me with you. Or your father. Or Tante Mattie." Laurie stated her arms crossed against her chest.

"I didn't know any of you were here or I would have. But I still needed to leave."

"Why?"

"Because it wasn't safe!" Dawn slapped her palm against the armrest.

"Laurie, don't be angry with me please. I just got you back and I don't want us to be upset with each other." Dawn's lower lip trembled. Laurie's frown deepened before she closed her eyes and let out a huff. She opened her eyes and approached Dawn, tilting her chin up.

"I was worried. That is all."

Dawn hugged Laurie. "I remember being so scared for you. You weren't healing right and men where chasing us and people were screaming. There was so much screaming and blood..."

"It's over now." Laurie said, returning Dawn's hug. Across the room, the X-men are trying hard to pretend like they aren't watching the two girls make up but failing completely.

Laurie had appeared on the landing pad not long after Dawn made her introduction to the inhabitants of Utopia. They had created quite a surprising scene as Dawn had broken away from Remy and ran towards Laurie with tears streaming from her eyes and calling _"Laurie! Laurie!"_ over and over.

They met each other halfway, falling to their knees as Dawn sobbed into Laurie's shoulder, her arms wrapped tightly around Laurie's neck. Laurie's heated glare kept anyone from getting too close to them, growling deep in her throat when they did. Only Remy was able to get close enough to usher them down below and to the command room where they now gathered to come up with some kind of plan of action now that Dawn was awake.

Laurie is Dawn's sister in all but name and blood. Maybe name too because Dawn gave her a new name and called her sister. They are sisters, deeply bonded and carrying a love for each other that only family can have. Dawn traveled with Laurie when she was tracking down the people who were trying to recreate the Weapon X program and stood besides her when it ended. She gave her a kiss goodbye when Laurie joined the Avengers and welcomed her back with smiles and hugs whenever she took a break and returned to them. She had four notebooks in her room at the mansion in New Orleans filled with text messages they had sent each other, a board filled with pictures of her family where Laurie was predominately displayed.

To Laurie, there was nothing in the world she cherished more and she vowed then and there that no one will ever defeat her like they did in New Orleans. If she had to, she would resort to her most basic instincts, bring out the monster her creators had tried to force on her, she would even turn back and seek the help of her blood father if it meant protecting Dawn.

She would die to protect her.

"I don't like it when you get hurt because of me." Dawn said quietly. "Don't get hurt like you did before okay?"

"I will do my best." Laurie replied, giving Dawn one last squeeze before releasing her.

"Look at my girls! So cute!" A pair of arms envelope them both, hugging them tight. "It's so wonderful seeing you make-up-ow!"

"Hands off old man!" Laurie growled, her fists clenched tightly as she glares at Remy who is hugging his midsection, gasping for air.

"Papa! Don't sneak up on Laurie! You know she doesn't like people sneaking up on her like that!" Dawn protested, her hands in front of her, unsure how to help her Papa.

"I remember but you two are just too cute together." Remy grinned through the pain.

_*Ahem*_ Cyclops cleared his voice. "If you're done, we can start the meeting."

"Sure." Remy pulled himself to his full height.

"Kitty if you can take Dawn to her room-"

"I don't want to go to my room. I want to listen in!" Dawn protested before looking up at Remy with wide eyes. "Papa, can't I stay?"

"Dawn! Autumn! LeBeau!"

Dawn physically flinched as her whole name was yelled out and made a move to hide behind Remy before deciding not to. It was too late to hide anyways. She turned to face the anger of Tante Mattie. "H-hello Gram."

Tante Mattie came into the room like a hurricane full of fury, stopping in front of Dawn with her hands on her hips. The look on her face brought back painful memories of being on the wrong end of a rolling pin and Remy wanted to shield Dawn from that fury when Tante Mattie grabbed Dawn in a hug.

"Don' you be scarin' an old woman like dat again, you hear me girl?" Tante Mattie said against Dawn's ear. "If I weren't so relieved t' see you here, I would make sure you couldn't sit for a week!"

Dawn winced at the threat. "I'm really sorry Gram. Don't be worried anymore, I'm okay."

"Lord child, I swear you're just like your Papa. He gave me several attacks when he was young too. O' course, children grow out of dat phase. Remy, dat boy never has." Mattie turned her dark eyes to Remy who sulked like a little boy.

"Hey, dat's not fair." he protested. Dawn smiled at his sulk as well did Mattie. At their smile, he huffed before he turning serious. "Tante, can you take Dawn wit' you? We have t' have a talk now dat Dawn's awake."

Tante Mattie looked over at the team before nodding. "I will. Come child, let's get you cleaned, dressed and fed properly."

"Ok." Dawn nodded, reaching for her Gram's hand. She looked back at Kitty. "Are you still coming with us?"

Kitty looked surprised at the request before nodding. "Oh! Yes I guess I am."

"Come on then." Dawn said, holding out her other hand. Kitty practically skipped over and grabbed it. "Do you live here?"

"Yes, I live on level-" Their conversation died out as the door shut behind them.

It was quiet for a minute before Gambit spoke. "I'm not takin' back what I said on de bridge. I can't protect Dawn anymore."

"_What do you mean?" Dawn asked him, pulling away to look up at him._

"_I can't protect you anymore." Remy said a sad look on his face._

"_Yes you can. You can do anything." Dawn protested. She pulled on his hand, tugging him away from the X-men standing in front of them, watching quietly. "Come on, we have to leave."_

"_No Dawn."_

"_But you can protect me. You've done so all my life!" Dawn pulled harder._

"_I have. And I'm glad you trust me but Dawnie, sweetie, you need more than I can provide. You need others like us." Gambit pulled Dawn to him, hugging her to him. She struggled and pushed away from him._

"_But-all I want is you. And Birdie. And Laurie. And Gram. And Auntie-" she stopped when he put a hand on her cheek. "Papa."_

"_It'll be okay Dawn. You'll see."_

_Dawn looked down on the ground, her eyes wet. They burned. "It's because of me isn't it. It's something I did. I'll take it back." Dawn looked up at him, her eyes wide. "I'll take it all back so you don't have to feel like you-" she stopped, holding a hand to her mouth. She almost said it!_

"_Failed?" Gambit asked quietly. Dawn shook her head wildly. "Lost? Defeated?"_

"_You're my Papa and I love you no matter what happens, so you don't have to look so sad or scared because I love you!" Dawn blurted out, pulling her hands away from her mouth._

_She felt her cheeks flush in color when she heard a few chuckles. She had forgotten that they weren't alone. She clenched her fists at her side, unfamiliar with having people look at her for long periods of time. Gambit brought her fists to his lips and kissed the knuckles, feeling them relax in his hands. He knew how she felt about being exposed and how deeply embedded the urge to run was._

_But the running had to end. _

"_I love you too Dawn."_

_He'd put a stop to it now._

"_I don't want things to change."_

_She needed a stable place to call home._

"_Seasons change."_

_She needed a place to call her own._

"_I'm afraid."_

_She needed the security and comfort she had before he met her._

"_I'll be wit' you...all de way."_

_He needed to be the kind of parent that put fears to rest._

"_Promise?"_

_They needed to heal._

"_I promise."_

_And with the X-men he felt that maybe it could happen. He's done it once before, maybe he could do it again and this time, do it right from the start._

"_Ok." Dawn held his hand, tightening her grip when he took a step forward. "Ok." She followed him._

"Remy…"

"But just because I can't protect her like she needs t' be protected doesn't mean I'm handin' her over t' you. She's still my daughter an' I still get t' decide on de important things in her life." Gambit turned on the group. "Up t' an' includin' any medical decisions, security protocols an' her education an' physical trainin'."

"We need to test her powers in order to start a training regime." Cyclops said.

"I will be there for de testing." Gambit replied. "I choose who teaches her after it is done."

"Fine. I assume that Dr. Rao will be Dawn's primary doctor?"

"Dat hasn't changed. I'll need access t' de security mainframe an' have someone look through it an' make any changes I see fit if you don' mind."

"I'll give clearance when I run a background on that someone."

"She lives wit' me at de Loft. Alone. Wit' no X-men lookin' over my shoulder."

It was here that there was a deal breaker. Gambit could see Cyclops fight against the automatic negative. The Loft was out in the open, on the other side of the island away from the base. If any attack would happen, then it would be four minutes away from help and their lives four minutes was a very long time. It may have large thick walls surrounding it on three sides but it had no additional security as of yet since Gambit had torn out its previous one in lieu of a new one that he had scheduled to be put in five days from now. It was unprotected, too far and taken over by company that was far less trustworthy than when he first arrived and had in his possession the future of their kind.

Gambit couldn't be trusted with Dawn.

But he had a sinking feeling that Dawn would follow him to the ends of the world and never see pass the adoration and love she had for him. Something must have happened in her past that made her latch on to him in such a way and he planned on finding what it was.

"Fine."

Gambit nodded. "Good."

"You're not going to isolate her from the rest of the island are you?" asked Magneto from his place near the front of the group. "You seem to like keeping her away from the rest of the world."

Gambit didn't need to read between the lines about that comment or know what the man who protested, quite loudly about Gambit's ability to raise and teach Dawn now that she is a mutant, meant.

It was known through the ongoing investigation that Dawn never ventured outside boundaries he had set for her. Prestigious private well guarded schools or home schooling. A mansion with tall brick and iron fences and all the toys and latest new models a kid could ask for, no outsider visitors other than family and the one friend. Very few people knew about Dawn, at least not without some deep digging. If only they knew the real reason...if only he would tell them.

Remy grinned and waved the question away. "No. You heard Dawn, she wants t' meet everyone on de island. She wants t' see you as friends so who am I t' get in her way."

"If you put on a good show for her, she'll come out of her shell. Have it in de open and keep it light. Let her come t' you, not de other away around." Gambit said thoughtfully, a finger tapping on his chin. If he was going to live here with Dawn, then he would have to build the bridges he was reluctant to make when she was sleeping. "Also, don' be surprised bout what comes outta her mouth. She's heard so many stories, dat she's come up wit' her own conclusion 'bout certain events."

"Stories that she's heard from you, no doubt." Wolverine growled. He was also someone who protested Gambit's role in Dawn's upbringing though he found no fault in his parenting skills.

"She got bored wit' fairy tales when she was 5. I had t' come up wit' somethin' t' tell her." Gambit sighed dramatically. "Can't help it if de stories were so boring dat I had t' put a bit more flair t' em t' make em interesting."

"You lied to her you mean." Wolverine grinned darkly. He didn't like how lightly Gambit was taking this whole situation with Dawn. He didn't understand how Gambit thought he could be a father to a little girl with all he's done in his life.

Gambit made a wounded scoff before he flicked his nose at him. "I never lied t' Dawn. I may embellish de truth abit but I never ever lied t' her."

"Listen bub-"

"Cyclops?" Kitty's voice came through the com-badge, interrupting the growing tension.

"Yes?" Cyclops asked.

"Can you come to the Underwater Rec room? Bring Remy as well." Kitty spoke, her voice quivering. They could hear someone in the background, yelling or crying, it was hard to make out. "Dawn needs him."

"We're on our way."

* * *

They reached the Rec Room in record time, with Gambit in the lead. They could hear whimpering sounds and Gambit rushed ahead of them, disappearing around the corner. When they entered the room they could see that Dawn was in his arms, being rocked and hiding her face in his neck. Gambit was doing his best to soothe her, stroking her hair and talking with her quietly, "It's okay petite You're safe here. I have you. Papa has you, its fine."

"My neck-!" Dawn is holding her hand against her neck, palms pressed on her jugular.

"Dere's nothin' wrong wit your neck." Remy said. "You're fine."

"I can feel blood." Dawn protested. "It hurts."

"Where does it hurt?" Dawn bit her lower lip, whining softy as she pressed harder on her neck. "Dawnie, tell me where it hurts?" Remy pressed.

"My neck. My neck hurts! Teeth against bone, tearing the flesh like jello and-they're drinking it!" Dawn cried. She's shaking now, shivering under Remy's hands. "Laughing and smiling as they drink the hot blood! Cruel beasts in human forms—ah!" Dawn cried out, pushing away from Remy to curl in on herself. She shuddered again. "Stop please."

"Stop now. Stop." Dawn started muttering as she rocked on her knees. "Please, please, please stop! Stop it! Don't hurt them anymore!" She yelled out the last bit as her protests became louder. "Stop hurting people!"

"Emma can you-"Cyclops stopped what he was asking when he saw that Emma had reverted to her diamond form, her brows drawn in a frown. "Never mind. Cuckoos can you check and see if there is any danger nearby? Find out what is bothering her."

The Cuckoos nodded, their glowing eyes becoming brighter as they sought any nearby disturbance. What they found surprised them. Before they could give Cyclops a warning to what they found Dawn screamed and a heavy telepathic presence slammed into them, knocking the air out of them as they fell to their knees. They could hear Cyclops call for them but they couldn't tear their eyes away from Dawn.

She's pulsing with high energy, a familiar energy that seemed to being thumping in their chests, struggling to be free. "It's not possible." they said. "It can't be."

"_**I SAID STOP IT!**_" A bright light surrounded her form, as highly concentrated energy spread from her back, so bright and blinding though a few could swear they could see them form into wings as her hair fanned around her like flames before it shot out of her in a wave.

The room gasped, bracing for impact from the energy they could feel rushing at them. But the power went through them with no harm and disappeared through the walls and glass. They could see it rush out across the underwater landscape.

"Command, track that energy flow now! Let me know what it is doing." Cyclops barked into his com badge as Dawn slumped to the ground, smoking rising from ground around her and off her clothes. She fell against Remy who is slumped over as well. "Cuckoos what-?" he stopped when he realized that the Cuckoos are slumped in a pile. If he had to guess, the other empaths and telepaths on the island would be slumped over on the island as well.

Emma Frost seemed to be the only one unaffected because of her diamond form.

"It was a psychic wave wasn't it?" he asked her. Emma nodded.

"You don't know what you invited on the island Cyclops." Emma said, wrapping her arms around her waist. "She's dangerous."

"Some mutants are when they first come into power." Storm said, stroking Dawn's hair as she held the girl to her chest. Dawn, they could see was awake but quiet, staring into the space in front of her thought she reacted to Storm's soothing tone and touches. She with Kitty's and Peter's help had carried them to a nearby couch, laying Remy down. "It will take time for her to learn control."

"She won't be able to control this." Emma said before turning and headed for the door. "She'll burn us all."

Cyclops drew his mouth in a stern line. "Take them to Medical. I want Dr. Rao to check over Dawn and Gambit. I need all empaths and telepaths in Medical. I want to see what damage was done to them."

After making sure that his orders are being followed, he headed to Command. He needed to find out how Dawn's outburst of energy affected the city across the bay and ready a report to give to the Mayor when she called about the incident. He felt something growing in his gut that was telling him something was coming.

Whatever it was, it was scaring Dawn enough for her to lash out blindly with her powers and in doing so was causing problems. Problems his enemies would no doubt take advantage of. That was something he didn't want and he would do anything to make sure that it stopped.

"Report." he said as soon as the door opened and he stepped in the room. Madison Jefferies is at the keyboard, chatting with the computer like he would any living person because Madison could talk to machines. When Cyclops made his demand he replied, "We have a problem."

"Go on."

"Well boss, it seems we have in infestation in the city. And not just some regular bug or rodent infestation but I mean a real honest to god, holy $# * we're in really deep this time infestation." Madison typed on the keyboard and an image lit up on the wide screen facing the window and showed the city behind it

"This is a map of the city." Madison said. He typed a few keys and the screen lit up in red in large sections. "And this is our problem."

"What is it?" Cyclops asked as he watched the screen shift in real time, the red on the screen black through his visor's filter.

"Vampires. Thousands and thousands of vampires. And it looks like they're headed this way." Madison pointed out, showing the vampires before the psychic wave and after. Before the wave, the vampires were scattered, in large numbers but apart. After the wave, it seemed that they shifted, moving in one direction….towards Utopia.

"How long before they reach the ocean?"

"An hour at the most." Madison said, stroking the computer. It purred pleasantly under his hand. "But who knows? There's just too many vampires gathered in the city. Too many for it to be a coincidence right? I mean, before the wave, there was nothing on our screens that told us of any danger but now look at it. I had the computer silence the alarm before she called it out because then it would throw the whole island on Red Alert Alpha."

Cyclops swallowed. Red Alert Alpha was the highest alert on the island, one poised to set the island on fight to the last man mode because that meant the very end of mutant kind. It meant that someone was going to wipe out all mutants on the island.

"Someone had been planning this." Cyclops said, studying the screen. "Send out Red Alert Beta." It wasn't as deathly serious as Alpha but it would tell everyone to be ready and call all the teams to the Command, including the Atlantean Guard. "If they plan on attacking tonight then I want all the teams debriefed to the situation."

He turned to Madison. "You said that there was no warning before the wave?"

"Yes. And after, it just lit up. As if there was a fog covering the sensors and it was blown away." Madison said before pausing. "Where did it come from, that wave?"

"Dawn. Dawn sent it out."

"The new girl?" Madison asked surprised. He leaned back in his hair. "Amazing, I didn't know she could do that."

_'There's a lot we don't know about Dawn._' Cyclops thought as the alarms sounded throughout the island.

* * *

"And you're sure the child is there?" A dark haired man with cold red eyes asked the messenger kneeling before him. He licked his lips, showing deadly sharp teeth, settled back against the heavy wooden chair like a king.

"Yes my lord."

"Hmm...delicious." A dark laugh followed suit, chilling the Asian girl lounging at the man's feet. "And how are the psychics feeling?"

"Sir, we lost most of them in the psychic wave that hit us." The messenger said. "The cover they provided is gone, we have been exposed."

"Hmm. Send out condolences to their clans. Tell them that their sacrifice will not be in vain. We will go forward as planned."

"Yes my lord."

The messenger disappeared in a flash.

The vampire shifted in his chair, leaning forward to run his fingers through the Asian girl's black hair. She cooed against his hand. He tipped her chin up so he could look into her brown eyes, soon to be red. "So my sweet Jubilee, you were telling the truth. There is a new mutant on the island."

"Yes Xarus." Jubilee sighed against his hand.

"Then this will be fun. I'll welcome the mutant race into my arms as a new vampire race who will be loyal to me, and taste the freshest, purist mutant blood in the world." He laughed, pulling her to sit on his lap. "By tomorrow night, I will have surpassed my father in power and concrete my place in history as the most powerful vampire in history."

He bit into Jubilee's neck, making her cry out in a mix of pleasure/pain as she fell limp against him.

* * *

**AN: Hello! Long time no see. I hope you enjoy this update. I know I said that there would be some action but I wrote too much so it will be in the next chapter. LOL. I also added a book cover to the story. I'm happy with it (^_^)  
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	12. Author's Note

_**Author's Note:**_

_**I know everyone is looking **__**forward to a new chapter. I know what you're feeling because I'm looking forward to it too. But it's not quite done yet because I had another re-rewrite. It sucks really bad. So to ease the withdrawls, I'm giving you a peek into the next chapter where things are starting to roll.**_

_**Also, I would like everyone to go vote on the Poll I have on my Profile page. The top three stories will be updated more often than the rest so if you want more chapters of **__**Here Comes Tomorrow: Rising Dawn**__**, let me know!**_

_**And, I would like to thank all of you who have dropped me a PM, or followed and favorited this story in the last couple of months. And a HUGE thank you to all of the regular readers who have stuck around.**_

_**Okay, on to the excerpt.**_

* * *

**Chapter 11: The Sand**

* * *

_**"The one thing that does not change is my powerlessness."**_

* * *

Dawn sat on the floor, her art supplies abandon in a mess of crumbled paper, broken pencils and spilled paint leaking on to the rug. She clutched her head in her hands, her eyes closed tightly as she rocked on her knees.

This was the worst. She felt so helpless.

She had already bitten through her lip twice. The skin below her eyes are red from the constant rubbing to ease the burn of her eyes and the escape of tears. She felt something in her stomach, like a monster trying to claw or chew its way out and she was afraid of it.

But what was worst was feeling lives being snuffed out. It was like being surrounded by candles, feeling their heat and watching their glow only for a wind to come along and watch their flames suddenly disappear, leaving a cold emptiness. There used to be so much more but now...

She shivered as more disappeared, feeling so much more colder. So hopeless. She felt like she was trying to grab sand that always managed to slip through her fingers no matter how hard she tried to hold on to it.

"Dawn?" Dawn flinched when her Gram touched her shoulders. "Dawn, child what is wrong?"

"It's all wrong. Wrong what they are doing." Dawn cried, digging her nails into her scalp, thinking that if she dug deep enough she could stop this feeling running through her. She didn't like it. "I don't like this!" So powerless.

"The fighting?" There was another explosion above them, shaking the ceiling above them. It must have been right above them on the surface. Tante Mattie scowled at the noise as Dawn turned and wrapped her arms around her chest, holding on for dear life. There wasn't much that could get Tante Mattie truly irated but causing her children undue distress was one of them.

* * *

_**"If fate is a millstone...then we are the grist."**_

* * *

Dawn was trying seek comfort from the woman who had helped her overcome many of her fears. Tante Mattie was a woman not to be messed with. Dawn learned that when she got Papa to stay and to take her with him when he left. She's faced down thieves and asassins, would-be-kidnappers and playground bullies. She's a healer, a mentor, a envoy, trusted advisor and go-to-mystic. Tante Mattie could do anything.

"Gram. Are they going to die?" Dawn asked in a low voice.

Above them, the battles were slowing down but not over. Not until Xarus got what he wanted and what he wanted was the whole mutant race under his control and Dawn as his prize. He would send anyone and everyone in his army to get it. He ordered another wave of vampires to attack the island, watching with hungry eyes as a mutant fell in battle but hissing in displeasure when that mutant was suddenly grabbed by a teleporter before his minions could get to her.

Tante Mattie wanted to shake her head no but she couldn't lie to Dawn. She nodded.

"Yes."

* * *

_**"There is nothing we can do."**_

* * *

Dazzler sent out another burst of ultraviolet light, panting heavily as around her vampires scream in pain, falling back holding burnt faces, arms, chests or bursting in flames, crashing to ground with a cry of terror and pain on their lips before dying. She's not a killer, everything inside of her is revolting against her actions but she can't stop. She will not stop! This isn't just her life on the line, it's everyone's. It's their whole kind. She won't stop. Summoning some strength, she takes a deep breath and runs deeper into the battle.

_Dawn let out a soft cry, moving closer to Gram. "It's not fair. They're people too. Not grist under a millstone."_

* * *

_**"So I wish for strength."**_

* * *

Archangel sent out a volley of metal feathers, a near manical grin on his face. He was in his element, in the air, diving and swooping like the bird of prey he was. Black lines of his Death persona had overtaken his veins, marking his body with dark scrawls that announce how close he was to losing control. Death was on the edge, screaming at him to be released and god help him, he wanted to let it out. To tear these invaders limb to bloody limb and hear their screams, to taste their fear...But he held back. If he lost control now, then what would happen to him? What would happen to his friends? To the girl they're fighting to protect? He wouldn't know friend from foe. He needed to keep control. He needed to keep control. He needed to keep control.

_"Is there nothing I can do?" Dawn asked._

_Tante Mattie sucked in a breathe in fear. This is the moment._

_"What do you wish for?" Tante Mattie asked quietly. "If you can have any wish in the world, what would it be for?"_

_Dawn closed her eyes, replying with the first thought that came to her. "Strength."_

_"I wish for strength."_


End file.
